Holding Scarlett (Part Six)
by LadyBJKD
Summary: 6th in the Scarlett Series (see Remembering Scarlett, Knowing Scarlett, Keeping Scarlett, Marrying Scarlett, Loving Scarlett) Scarlett & Spencer are trying to figure out a balance between working life, personal life and their expanding family. Will their fears and struggles bring them closer together or split them apart? Rated M for some chapters. Please leave reviews! Becky
1. Chapter 1

_Holding Scarlett_

Chapter 1

"I think we can work something out…"

Spencer overheard part of Scarlett's conversation while he finished off the rest of his paperwork. Things had been blissfully quiet at work for the past few weeks, and although he wasn't complaining, he knew that being stuck in the office instead of out in the field was beginning to grate on Scarlett's nerves.

She'd jumped on the chance to consult with the state of Colorado's Department of Child Welfare about a 911 call they had received from a young girl who alleged that she was being sexually molested by an adult member of a Libertarian sect in La Plata. The compound was called Liberty Ranch, and from what Reid had overheard, it sounded a bit like a cult.

He listened to Scarlett finish the call and looked over at her when she hung up.

"What are you working out, crazy girl?" he asked, meeting her eyes.

"The woman who is heading their case, Nancy Lunde is asking for more help with the process. She's going in to interview the girl- actually all of the girls, so she doesn't single anyone out- on Monday. She wants to know now if I can come out there to help her."

"Go undercover?" he asked. "If you go in as FBI it will send off warning bells through the compound…"

"Right, yes, exactly," she agreed. "I'd be going in as a Child Welfare Interview Expert from the state. That's Nancy's official title."

"The department won't let you go in undercover on your own," he reminded her.

"No- but I was thinking maybe I could talk you into coming with?" she asked sweetly, knowing she'd need to convince him. Undercover wasn't Reid's thing.

"Come on, farm boy- you could pass for a case worker, probably better than me- and I'm going stir crazy here…" she complained, giving him a pleading look.

Spencer rolled his eyes. "Let's talk to Hotch," he sighed, giving a small laugh when she jumped up from her desk with a bright smile.

"Yay! No more paperwork!" she wiggled her hips a bit, dancing in place as Derek came up behind her. He grinned at her back and caught Reid's eye.

"What did I miss?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Spencer just agreed to go undercover with me for a child welfare consult in Colorado," she told her brother. "We've got to get it cleared with Hotch, but it's a few days out of the office, thank God!"

Derek saw her gaze travel around the walls and could see she was feeling closed in.

"Lucky you," he lamented his own fate of desk work. "Do you need a third?" he asked jokingly.

"No, but you have PT instruction all week anyway… the Bureau can't spare you," she reminded him.

"Yeah, at least there is that," he agreed. "Have fun," he told Reid as he continued to his own desk.

Hotch answered Scarlett's knock with a quick call. "Come in…"

"What's up?" he asked the couple, seeing the question in Scarlett's eyes. He listened as she explained the situation, and asked permission for them to do a personal consult.

Hotch looked over to Reid before answering.

"You don't usually do undercover work," he mentioned, sitting back in his chair and regarding Spencer thoughtfully.

"No, but things are quiet here, I'm not needed for the team at the moment… and I could pass for a case worker," he stated, using Scarlett's earlier argument. "It shouldn't be that difficult. And we can help the state workers by getting them a profile of the leader of the sect, also. It sounds like the ranch may be a fringe cult or something…"

Hotch nodded, taking his time before making a decision. He pulled up the information that Scarlett had entered into the computer, looking it over. It seemed to be an innocuous case, and may be a good way to allow Reid to further his experiences.

"Okay, I'll write up the paperwork for you two to leave Sunday… However…" he eyed Scarlett up as he noticed her bounce slightly in place. "Agent Ryan- I will have you take the lead in this, since you are the experienced undercover field agent," he stated, then looked over towards Reid. "You will follow her instructions…"

"Of course," Spencer said easily. He didn't see where that would be a problem.

"And I'll expect your cover to be platonic… The State of Colorado won't know that you two are married…" he reminded them. "Some agencies would still see a couple working together as a conflict in interest."

"Right, separate rooms," Scarlett grinned, excited to be doing something. "Gotcha…"

"Okay," Hotch bit the inside of his cheek at the scowl that had moved onto Reid's face. "Are you in agreement?" he asked.

Spencer nodded, although the frown didn't leave his face.

"I'm alright with it," he agreed. "It could be interesting to add 'undercover' to my file transcript," he told Hotch.

"Good. I'll call the DA and have JJ set up your covers with the state. Anything else?" he asked.

"Can I give Morgan the rest of my paperwork to finish?" Scarlett asked cheekily.

"No," Hotch grinned. "I expect to have your reports finished by tonight…"

Spencer shook his head at her groan and tugged her out of the office.

"Come on, darling," he led her back to her desk. "I'll help you finish off your reports and maybe we can get out of here early enough to catch a movie before dinner…"

"Hmm. Sound good to me," she agreed. "What's playing?" she asked, knowing his taste in movies leaned towards eccentric.

"The Hillside is playing Guillermo del Toro's 'El Laberinto del Fauno' uncut in its original Spanish format…"

"Really?" she said excitedly. "Pan's Labyrinth? That sounds freaking awesome!"

Spencer grinned. "It's not subtitled," he told her. "You'll have to translate most of it for me..." he warned.

"Hmm, a reason to sit closer and whisper in your ear for two hours," she teased, seeing the reasoning behind his suggestion. "I bet I can make you squirm by the time it's over…"

"Uh, probably?" Reid laughed, taking most of the files from her desk. "Let's get this done so we can make it there in time," he told her.

Scarlett smiled at him, looking forward to the distraction, and got to work on what was left of her reports.

Once they were completed, Scarlett checked her watch, seeing that it was getting close to five.

"You want to head right over to the movie so we don't miss anything?" she asked him, picking up her purse and following him through the office doors.

Spencer led the way, taking her hand once they were outside the agency. "I think we should," he agreed. "We can walk to the Hillside from here, so we don't have to find parking…"

Looking up at the sky, Scarlett felt the light breeze lift her hair and smelled rain in the air. "Sounds good to me, but we might get wet on the way back," she warned him, letting him turn her towards the street. They walked the few blocks together, hand in hand, talking about anything that came to mind.

When she moved closer, tucking under his arm, Reid leaned over and kissed her temple.

"Norie is asking to come home after school ends for the summer," Scarlett mentioned. She looked up and caught Spencer's eye.

"That sounds good to me, I miss having her around. It's not the same just talking on the phone every night," he said, hugging her shoulders.

"No," she pouted slightly. "Even with video chat, I still feel like I'm missing out," she sighed.

"So, we'll make the arrangements," he told her. "Even if we catch a case, odds are Penny won't have to come along in the field- and she's already said Norie can stay with her if that happens, so we don't need to worry so much about her having to turn around and fly back to Chicago…"

Scarlett closed her eyes, thinking a moment about having Norie with them again. "I'll tell her later tonight," she smiled. "After I double check with Pens…" she told him as they entered the lobby for the movie theatre.

They chose a seat off to the side, away from some of the other people who had come to see the movie. Spencer sat hunched slightly in the seat, as Scarlett leaned against him, translating the story for him. Halfway through the movie, she noticed him moving uncomfortably in his seat and giggled.

"Told you I'd make you squirm," she teased, offering him some more popcorn.

"Hush," he grinned easily, nipping at her lips lightly as she rested her head on his shoulder. "It's not my fault you have a sexy voice," he told her. "And that you are translating with a definite accent…"

"I am?" she asked, not noticing that she'd been doing that. "Huh…"

Spencer regarded her seriously. "It's true… you sound like you are speaking English as a second language. It probably has something to do with how your mind is following the story," he offered as an explanation.

"Hmm. Maybe…" she thought about it. She grinned evilly as she continued the conversation with the accent.

"Ah, so, the accent makes you hot, yes, mijo?"

"Yes…" he kissed her quickly, shifting again. "Brat," he called her, pulling away a bit when she bit lightly on his earlobe.

He heard her husky laugh in his ear and felt his body respond. Scarlett saw him squirm against the seat and relented a bit, turning her attention back the movie once again.

After the movie was over, they walked quickly back to the car in the light rain and drove home.

Scarlett went directly into the kitchen to start something for dinner, while Spencer headed into the bedroom to change out of his work clothes.

She put together a salad and made some fried chicken, picking her head up when he entered the living room in gym clothes.

"You going to get in a work out?" she asked him, looking him over. She grinned when he flexed a bicep.

"I thought I might have some time," he told her, heading into the spare room that doubled as an office and a gym. Scarlett's altar was also in this room, set into a corner, out of the way. He looked back over his shoulder at her.

"Do you think we should start looking for a bigger place?" he asked her, noticing how space had become scarce recently.

Scarlett shrugged, taking a bite of salad from the plate as she turned the chicken. "I'm still okay with it," she told him. "Besides, I like this place," she told him. "Why? Are you feeling crowded?"

He watched her for another moment before turning into the room. "Not really, I was just thinking there isn't much room to grow here…" he stated, waiting to see if his words made her think of anything in particular.

Scarlett tilted her head a bit. "You interested in expanding really soon?" she asked, watching his face.

Spencer blushed, looking away, not wanting her to see the question in his eyes. He still wasn't sure if she was pregnant… and was waiting to see if the idea occurred to her as it had to him. But Scarlett remained un-phased with the conversation.

"Not necessarily," he said, noncommittally.

Scarlett scowled slightly, raising her brow as he continued into the room. She shook her head as she heard him start using the equipment, lifting weights…

 _Okay_ , she thought idly as she finished making dinner. As the chicken cooled, she went into the room to watch him work out.

Scarlett stood in the doorway, noticing he'd removed his shirt as he worked up a sweat. The muscles in his back stood out as he moved in quick repetitive movements, working his shoulders and trapezius muscles. She bit her lip as she moved up behind him to touch the area lightly with her fingers.

Spencer twitched, feeling her stroke his back and turned his head to look over his shoulder at her from his seat on the bench. The look in her eyes had him instantly aroused.

"Dinner done?" he asked innocently, pulling the earbuds out of his ears.

"Hmm-mmm, it's cooling now…" she said, running her hand over his shoulders as he turned around. She noticed he'd been picking up muscle lately, but seeing him covered in sweat and working that muscle gave her a tingle in the pit of her stomach.

Scarlett slid onto his lap, straddling him on the bench. Reid grasped her ass, pulling her closer, rubbing her against his erection.

"Any objections about adding to your work out?" she teased, reaching behind him to grasp one of the handles of the weights, pulling herself to stretch over him. She heard his grunt as the angle pressed her body against his…

"No?" she asked.

"Hell, no," he agreed, tugging at her pants to remove them.

When she shifted off of him, stripping off her clothes, he did the same. Returning to her position back over him, she groaned as he lay back against the bench.

"God- okay… this isn't going to take long," she said huskily, using her feet on the floor for stability and rocking against him. She saw a cocky grin move across his face as he let her do the work from her position, riding his body, drawing the pleasure out for both of them.

Scarlett leaned forward, caught up in the grip of the orgasm that ripped through her. She felt Spencer reach for her hips, pulling himself into a half sitting position as he came also.

Reid held her as she caught his shoulders, pulling him up closer to her.

"Jesus," he breathed out heavily once he got his voice back. "Maybe I should consider adding that into my work out every day," he teased her, catching the stain that blushed across her chest. When he moved slightly and she tensed, he looked into her eyes.

Scarlett felt her body respond to his and rocked against him again. "Dinner is going to get cold," she said, catching his self-satisfied smile.

He caught her lips with a kiss. "Cold chicken tastes better," he told her in a low growl, moving his hips once more. The sound that came from her throat made his blood heat in a flash.

Spencer watched as she came again, more slowly this time. He squeezed her hands as she grabbed a hold of his, raising his arms above his head. When she dropped forward across his chest, wholly spent, he chuckled lightly.

"You're getting too cocky for my ego, Spence," she teased him, stroking his sides lightly as she lay draped over him.

"Mmm- is that a complaint?" he asked, kissing her hair.

"Not hardly," she grinned, pulling herself back up to a sitting position. Her stomach growled loudly and he laughed when she blushed.

"I think that was though," he said, pressing a hand to her abdomen. "Let's go eat something…"

When she scooted from his lap to gather her clothes, she missed the soft look that had moved across his face.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 _The next few chapters are based off of the Criminal Minds episode Minimal Loss. I have altered some of the scenes to incorporate Scarlett's character. All original dialogue etc. is the property and exclusive right of the brilliant CM writers, as always._

* * *

Scarlett tossed her suitcase onto the hotel bed and began unpacking. She listened closely to the hallway until she heard the door to the room next to hers open and closed, knowing that Spencer had checked in right behind her and had requested the adjoining room. She grinned as she heard his knock at the interior door that connected the two rooms and crossed over to answer it.

Reid saw her smirk as she pulled the door open.

"I still think it's sort of ridiculous for the state to pay for two rooms," he rolled his eyes as he entered.

"It's all with keeping up appearances, sweetie," she told him. "They couldn't expect us to share a room."

"If I was here with Morgan they would have," he pointed out. She just raised a brow at his comment.

"Okay, I know, you are right," he shrugged. "As long as I'm still sleeping with you tonight," he wrinkled his nose at her.

Scarlett pulled his hand, tugging him along behind her. "Don't worry, boy- you're still with me," she laughed, falling backwards on the bed and pulling him down on top of her.

Reid caught himself with his arms, leaning above her instead of landing on her. "Careful, crazy girl. I'm going to squash you…"

Scarlett shook her head and grinned. "You are suddenly opposed to being on top?" she teased.

He kissed her nose, sliding her back onto the bed until he was covering her. "Not hardly," he corrected, catching her behind the knees. "But I don't need to _land_ on you," he stated. Spencer brushed light kisses across her jaw, rubbing his cheek against hers.

"Everything is set with Nancy for tomorrow morning, right?" he asked her.

"Right, seven sharp she'll be here to pick us up," she told him. "You have your cover memorized?" she asked him, stretching a little to reach his neck with a light nip.

"Yeah- it's pretty straightforward. I've worked with Nancy in the department for four years… specializing in cases within group settings and organizations…" he stated.

"Good. And I?"

"Worked out of Denver… Child Victim Advocate. You've transferred in and it's your first case with Nancy directly."

"Got it. That'll make it easier if Nancy trips up and says anything to me that makes the sect leaders suspicious as to why she doesn't know me as well as she should…"

"And if she doesn't know me?"

"Deflect. Push it off as she dismisses you- as a male working with sexual assault victims, it wouldn't be unusual for you to be pushed away…"

"Really?" he asked, looking down at her. "Is that true?"

Spencer remembered she had worked in the sex crimes division for a few years while in Chicago.

"Were there many men in your team in Chicago?"

"There were, since my team included vice… but when it came to interviewing victims, especially children, the job seemed to fall onto the female cops. I think it made the victim's more comfortable most of the time too…" she shrugged.

"Let's go get dinner," she patted his ass, moving him off the top of her. "Then we can lock ourselves in for the night," she winked.

"Right," he rolled his eyes. "Game face in public," he sighed, looking down at his empty finger where his wedding band usually sat.

Scarlett had insisted they leave their rings behind, despite his protest, since they matched and could blow their cover. Spencer drew the line at leaving the pocket watch, though, since it couldn't be outwardly connected between them. He reached inside his pocket, touching it now. He knew she still wore her locket, too, well concealed under her shirt.

"Hey," she touched his hand, running her fingers over the empty spot. "It's only temporary, lover…" she reminded him.

"I know…" he shrugged. "I just didn't realize it would bother me so much," he scowled, reaching over to touch her empty fingers also. "It does though…"

Scarlett touched his cheek gently, bringing his lips to hers. "We'll be home in no time," she stated softy. "And it'll all be back to normal."

He lowered his forehead to hers, bumping it lightly. "Why don't we just order in separate room service for dinner? That way I can have you all to myself until tomorrow…"

She grinned, biting his lip with a quick nip. "I think you can talk me into that, farm boy," she offered, giving him a bump back with her hip. He met her lips again, working on 'talking' her into it for the next hour…

Early the next morning, Spencer sat in the backseat of a standard issue government sedan, leaning forward between the Colorado State agent and Scarlett. He found it easier to keep his 'game face' on while talking about the case… since he'd already screwed up twice this morning over breakfast in front of Nancy.

The first time was when he'd begun to start an argument with Scarlett about not eating and the second was when he'd forgotten himself and reached over to fix her hair, pulling it out from under the collar of her jacket as they were leaving.

Lunde must have thought he had some sort of a ridiculous crush on his superior, since that was Scarlett's position on this case.

Either way, it embarrassed him totally, although Scarlett had covered for him quickly, thinking on her feet and giving him a hard stare both times. He felt his ears burn slightly just thinking about it.

He hadn't realized how hard it would be to maintain the image of a non-personal relationship, or that his daily interactions involved so much of Scarlett. He actually found himself tucking his hands into his pockets several times instead of reaching out to touch her.

Scarlett saw Reid scowling slightly out of the corner of her eye as he leaned forward between the seats to ask some more questions about the case.

"What more can you tell us about the 911 call?" he asked Nancy as he scanned through the case file she had given to them.

"Um, I believe that the 'he' that they refer to is the leader of the church, Benjamin Cyrus," she told him.

"Benjamin Cyrus…" he flipped through some pages. "No criminal record… no record at all really," Reid scowled over the lack of information. "What else do you know about him?"

"It's rumored he's practicing polygamy and forced marriages," the woman told him.

"Any ideas about who the caller is?" Scarlett asked.

"Umm, Jessica Evanson is the one that the age fits- but we can't be sure, so I negotiated interviews with all the children…" Nancy stated. She caught Scarlett's eyes. "It wasn't easy…" she said with a shake of her head.

"Well, considering their feelings towards outsiders, it would be best if you don't identify us as FBI," Scarlett told her, passing her credentials and her weapon back to Reid. He looked down at the gun, not liking the idea of her being unarmed.

"Are you keeping your secondary on you?" he asked, receiving a questioning stare from Lunde.

 _Crap_ , he chastised himself once again. He turned his eyes toward Scarlett, giving her an apologetic look.

"No," Scarlett answered easily, removing the entire ankle holster and handing it back to him to also store under the seat. "They'll probably pat us down, and they may wonder why I'd be armed to talk to children. Better to keep it easy…"

"Just use our real names, and refer to us as Child Victim Interview Experts," she told Nancy, looking over their falsified credentials from JJ, handing Reid's back to him.

Spencer looked his over, sitting back further in the seat, exchanging the identification with the ones currently in his wallet. He slipped his revolver and real id's into the lock box under the seat with Scarlett's. Watching out the window of the vehicle as they pulled into the secured encampment, Reid took in the layout of the grounds, knowing Scarlett would be doing the same.

When they finally pulled up in front of the church and school building, they followed Agent Lunde over to the stairs where a man was lounging alongside a sign, reading a book.

"We are looking for Benjamin Cyrus," Nancy called out to the man.

"You've found him," the man responded, still not looking up.

"I'm Nancy Lunde," she introduced herself to the man as he finally stood to look at her. "We spoke on the phone, regarding the allegation?"

"Savages they call us, because our manners are different from theirs…" Cyrus told them as he walked forward to meet them.

"We didn't come here to hear you cite scripture," Nancy told him, stiffening a bit with attitude.

"Actually, it's Benjamin Franklin…" Spencer corrected her as he walked up behind her. She fixed him with a scathing glance over her shoulder and Spencer blushed.

 _Crap_ … he thought again, lowering his eyes from her glare.

"Scarlett Ryan and Spencer Reid…" Nancy introduced them to Cyrus. "They are Child Victim Interview Experts…"

"How far from God's Word must we have strayed for there to be a need to invent a job titled 'Child Victim Interview Experts'," he asked, looking between Scarlett and Spencer. When Cyrus kept his eyes locked on Reid, Scarlett noticed immediately. She watched him sum up and judge Spencer within moments, and wondered about what conclusion he'd come to…

She met his gaze when it travelled to her, nodding her head in agreement.

"We wish we didn't have to be here," Scarlett told him.

"So do we. But you are welcome here, nonetheless," he told her, keeping his gaze leveled with hers now. Scarlett didn't break the contact and she saw his eyes flare slightly as if challenged. Rather than risk her cover, she looked away.

Reid noticed the push and when Scarlett looked away, he understood why. Cyrus wouldn't expect a challenge from a case worker… especially a woman. He started profiling the man in his head, taking mental notes to be able to stay ahead of him. He filtered it between what he knew about cult leaders in general in absence of any real information on Cyrus himself. _Narcissistic, usually leaning towards sociopathic tendencies, gregarious with the ability to manipulate people_ … he thought.

"The children are in the school as I had indicated," he said to Nancy, pointing up the stairs.

"Thank you," Scarlett said, following Nancy up past him into the school.

Reid stayed back a bit, looking at the encampment behind Benjamin.

"You're using solar power?" Spencer asked.

"Yes, we are completely self-sufficient," Cyrus answered. "Electricity, food, water… Ben Franklin said 'God helps those that help themselves'… You seem surprised," he looked Reid over, studying him.

"Uh, no- impressed, actually," Spencer said honestly.

Cyrus was taken back by that. "Thank you," he said.

"For what?" Reid looked confused.

"For admitting that…" Benjamin moved towards the school, indicating for Reid to follow Nancy and Scarlett. He left them at the doors.

Scarlett called for Jessica Evanson and her mother first, since Lunde had mentioned that she'd fit the age basis the most closely. Nancy took one of the other children to another part of the classroom to speak with them, while Spencer stayed at Scarlett's side, observing.

The girl sat stiffly before them, hands folded and face masked.

"We go to school, do our chores and treat ourselves and each other with the respect that God demands," she looked into Scarlett's eyes, her face held a look of self-righteousness that could only be achieved by a teenaged girl. Scarlett resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the rhetoric the child was spewing.

"But you have never been off the ranch?" Scarlett asked.

"I brought Jessie here when she was just two…" her mother, Kathy spoke.

"You talk to lots of children in your work," Jessica mentioned to Scarlett. "Tell me; are their lives somehow better than ours?"

"We are devoted to God, but that doesn't mean we aren't devoted to our children…" Jessie's mother said, standing protectively beside her.

"We are not here because of your religious beliefs," Scarlett assured the woman.

"Why are you here?" Jessie asked her.

Scarlett spoke to the girl directly, meeting her eyes and watching for her reaction.

"We received a phone call, alleging that an adult male member of your church was having inappropriate relations with the younger women here…" she said gently.

"You're talking about Cyrus," the young girl stated.

"Why would you say that?" Scarlett asked. She hadn't expected information to be so forthcoming. She felt Reid stiffen as he stood at her side watching the girl.

"Jessie," her mother touched her shoulder. "Stop…hush…"

"Is it inappropriate for a husband to share a bed with his wife?" the little girl gave Scarlett a haughty look.

Reid narrowed his gaze and swallowed against the lump in his throat. The situation was sounding worse by the moment. He looked at the girl, then back at Scarlett. Her face was impassive; she showed no shock or censure towards the girl's words, making it difficult for him to read her face.

"You are married to Cyrus," Scarlett said evenly, not wanting to upset the child.

The young girl nodded her head. "Yes," she lifted her chin defiantly. "Cyrus is my husband, and a prophet. It is an honor to bear his children…"

Scarlett caught the tenseness in Reid's voice as he spoke to the little girl.

"Jessica, you are fifteen years old. The state of Colorado requires parental consent…"

Scarlett watched Kathy's face and a frown marred her brow. "She _gave_ consent," she told Reid flatly, meeting his eyes.

 _Now_ he could hear the censure and he held his breath, hoping Scarlett would control her rising anger.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Just then, some of the followers entered the classroom brandishing rifles. They pointed them at Reid and Scarlett.

"Get up, everybody up… move…"

"You heard him, get up…"

"Stand!"

Scarlett rose to her feet, moving alongside Spencer as Nancy came over to them.

"What's going on?" Lunde asked.

Reid froze as one of the men shouldered his weapon and pat him down before moving to do the same to Scarlett. She kept her hands raised and her eyes locked on Reid.

 _Stay calm_ … she mouthed the words to him.

Cyrus entered the room, staring down Scarlett. "We just got a very strange phone call from a news reporter…"

"Is there anything you want to tell me?" he asked her in particular.

"About a raid, maybe?" he continued watching her, and then looked at Reid, then Nancy. He saw the disbelief on each of their faces.

"They don't know…" he told the others. "Move them all into the tunnels…" he instructed his men.

Spencer kept Scarlett in his line of sight as she headed down first into the underground tunnel with Nancy and the other women and children.

When the armed members shoved at him to move, he stepped up to where he saw Scarlett just ahead and caught up with her. Nancy dropped back to stand with them.

"What is going on?!" Lunde asked them, nerves clearly ringing in her voice.

"I don't know, just stay calm…" he repeated Scarlett's advice to him, following close, keeping them both ahead of him to protect them better.

When gunfire sounded above ground, he heard Scarlett's whispered oath.

"Fuck me…"

"Keep moving," he told her, pushing her forward. She felt his hand at the small of her back as he nudged her along.

Cyrus's voice sounded out over the gunshots.

"Keep going, to the left," he directed everyone. "Everyone stay together, children, listen to your parents!"

"Alright, everyone… have faith… remain calm," he told them as he pushed them farther into the room.

Scarlett saw automatic rifles and cases of weapons lining the walls of the room. Her eyes widened and she caught Reid's gaze.

"Where the hell did these guns come from?" she asked him in a hushed tone.

"I don't know… Garcia checked with the state police, nobody had the ranch under surveillance," he whispered to her, staying close to her side.

"Everyone remains calm, there is nothing to fear here," Cyrus was telling the room.

"This is ridiculous," Nancy snapped, looking over at Scarlett.

"It's okay, just calm down," she told the other woman.

They saw Cyrus speak to one of his men.

"Okay, stay calm and remain quiet," he told the room. "God will protect you…" Cyrus headed back up the stairs.

"It's the State Police," Nancy told Scarlett. "I'm an officer of the state…" she said.

"Well, there is nothing we can do right now…" Scarlett responded. "Just…"

"I can talk to them…" she said as she started moving through the room.

"No, you can't…" Scarlett started after her as Nancy pushed her way through to follow Cyrus.

"It's too dangerous… Nancy! Nancy! Stop… Nancy…" she shouted.

Scarlett tried to follow, but Spencer grabbed her back even as the armed guards blocked the exit.

"Stay…" he told her, whispering in her ear.

"Nancy!" Scarlett yelled again into the door. Reid wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back.

"Scarlett," he leaned down into her line of vision. He could see the fear in her eyes for the other woman.

"Scarlett… stay," he asked her again, wanting her to come to her senses. She couldn't go upstairs…

She pressed her lips together in a firm line but met his eyes.

"She's going to get herself killed," she hissed at him.

"You don't know that… you can't help her now…" he responded. "But you can help here… with the others. With the children…" he reminded her.

Scarlett scowled, hearing Cyrus above still screaming for a cease fire.

Spencer touched her hand, pressing three fingers against her palm. She locked her eyes to his.

" _We'll_ help here…" she told him. "Together…"

He nodded, dropping her hand and moving with Scarlett back into the room. After a few tense moments, the men returned from upstairs.

"Do not fear, for we are on the side of the righteous," Benjamin told his followers as he reentered.

"Where's Lunde?" Scarlett moved into Cyrus's path to ask the question. He stopped, looking down on her.

"It wasn't us…" was all her said to her, trying to push past her to continue his way through.

"What?! You can't shoot it out with the cops," she blocked him, arguing with him. "You've got women and children here!"

"I didn't start this," Benjamin held her gaze, watching her.

"You take the roof, you take the tunnel," he told some of the men as he moved away.

"Fuck," Scarlett muttered, looking over her shoulder to Reid. He saw the anger and sadness in her eyes as she dropped back to his side.

"It's not our fault," he told her quietly.

"That doesn't make it any easier," she ground out, holding her anger in check.

"Scarlett…"

Suddenly the gunfire stopped and they could hear muffled shouting.

Scarlett closed her eyes to listen closer, trying to catch the words.

"They're pulling back… the police are pulling back," she told Reid, watching his face.

"Not for long…" he huffed out a tense breath, knowing that this was just the beginning.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Back at Quantico, JJ blasted through the office doors, picking up a remote and heading over to Derek's desk.

"Morgan," she called out to him as she turned on the live feed to the national news.

"What's up?" he asked, seeing the strain on her face. He quickly looked over at the screen.

A reporter stood in front of the camera, the scene showing a compound type structure at his back in the distance.

' _What is being called a routine questions and answers session with Colorado State child welfare workers has now turned into a violent and deadly standoff between Colorado officials and a fringe religious group called the Seperatarian Sect_ …'

Morgan rose to his feet, the denial quick to his lips….

"JJ- that's not the ranch where Scarlett and Reid were…"

JJ cut him off, nodding her head. "They are still inside," she said quietly, still in shock herself.

Derek spun around towards the supervisor's offices.

"HOTCH!" he screamed, bringing Aaron and Dave both out of their offices and into the bullpen in a heartbeat.

"The TV- Scarlett and Reid…" Morgan barely managed to get the words out of his strangled throat.

They turned their attention to the report.

' _It is believed that the three child welfare workers are still trapped inside the compound._ '

The phones of the BAU offices started ringing at once…

Hotch looked over the floor. "Okay- that means we are lead with Hostage Rescue and Support…" he told them. "Let's go…"

The team was assembled and in the jet within the hour. They watched the news while heading to Colorado.

' _There are reports coming from the attorney general's office in Colorado, that the AG, Jim Wells has had the reclusive sect under investigation in an ongoing investigation for weapons charges over the past six months_ …' the reporter was claiming.

"Six months? And we didn't know anything about this?" Morgan looked over at JJ. "We didn't check?"

"Oh, we checked," she told him. "I had the ATF contact the state attorney general's office. They _spoke_ to Wells. He told them that the state had no ongoing investigations. He _lied_ …"

"Why?" Rossi asked.

"Wells is challenging the governor in the next election. He must have thought that the ATF was going to poach his big election launching weapons bust…" she scowled.

Morgan rolled his eyes and shook his head in disgust.

"Now, it's clear he had no idea that there were undercover FBI agents there- but he thought the best time to serve the warrants would be while the Child Care Workers were doing their interviews and the children were all being housed in the education center," JJ stated.

"What do we know about the sect?" Rossi asked Garcia, looking to the laptop screen.

"Liberty Ranch was founded in 1980 by libertarian Leo Kane," Penelope said. "He created it as a self-sustaining commune…"

"Libertarians believe that everyone has the right to do what they want as long as they aren't infringing on the lives of others…" Derek stated.

"But Libertarians aren't religious," Dave stated. "Clearly this sect abandoned libertarian principals…"

"Benjamin Cyrus introduced the religious aspect when he took over as leader eight years ago when Kane left," Hotch mentioned.

"Garcia, what do we know about Cyrus?" Morgan asked.

"Ugh, we've got bupkis- it's like the guy never cast a shadow on the known universe. His predecessor, Leo Kane is currently doing a stint of 17 years in Deerfield Federal Prison for tax evasion- apparently Libertarians don't like to pay taxes…" she told him.

"Seventeen years for tax evasion?" Morgan asked. "Isn't that a little steep?"

"Yeah, well, that's two years for tax evasion and fifteen years for going after four IRS agents with a Louisville slugger," she clarified.

"Let's have Kane brought out to the scene. He's our best bet at finding out who we are dealing with…" Hotch told her.

Penny nodded, writing something down and signed off.

Scarlett was pacing the floor of the small cellar, biting on the side of her thumb. The armed militia guard had escorted everyone else back up into the chapel and it was just her and Spencer in the underground shelter. Reid resisted the urge to take her into his arms, shoving his hands deep into his pockets instead, knowing that the men could come back down at any moment.

They both turned as they heard footsteps on the stairs.

Cyrus entered the room, listening to one of his men run down the casualties.

"Miles is dead- they shot him when he was locking the doors… Laura and Robert were asleep in their bed- bullets came through the wall…"

"What about the baby?" Cyrus asked.

"I've got her, she was at the school…" they saw Jessie come through the door holding a toddler.

"Hello, darlin'," Benjamin held the child close a moment. "Don't be afraid. It's all going to be alright, honey… Mommy and Daddy have gone to be with God," he kissed the baby's forehead.

"It's all going to be alright," Cyrus told Jessie. "Take her to the temple and pray…"

Jessie left, following his directions.

Cyrus turned back inside the room, looking to his men.

"Distribute the weapons and ammunition," he told them. "I prayed this day would never come, but it has…" he set his hand to one of the men's shoulders.

"God will see us through," he held the other man's eyes.

"Right…"

Cyrus looked over at Scarlett as the man left. He held her eyes and Spencer noticed the interaction, shifting to stand between them, asking Cyrus a question, drawing his attention away from Scarlett.

"Wh-what does this mean for us?" he asked, stammering a bit, holding himself in a submissive stance.

"You'll stay here until we decide what to do with you…" Cyrus backed up a little, the tension he had in his face while staring down Scarlett easing away when he regarded Spencer.

Scarlett noticed…

' _I hate to break it to you sweetheart, but you're an Alpha'_ …

She heard Morgan's voice in her head repeating his words from the case a few months ago, when Reid had taken the lead while speaking to the wife of an unsub. Derek had also told her then that sometimes she had to step back and let Reid do what he did best.

Obviously, Benjamin Cyrus saw her as a risk, whereas he disregarded Reid as a non-threat.

She watched the look in her husband's face when Cyrus turned his back to him. Reid's hazel eyes narrowed and he scowled darkly at the man's back, his demeanor changing from the submissive back to her protector.

 _That was going to be Cyrus's sorriest mistake… and his downfall_ , she thought.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The team arrived at the outpost where HRS was setting up a base camp. Hotch pulled Rossi aside as the entered the encampment.

"Dave, they've left the choice of negotiators up to me…"

"I've trained most of the Hostage Negotiation Unit… do you want me to give you recommendations?" he asked.

"I'm making you the lead negotiator…" he told him.

"Me?" Dave looked taken back.

"Why use the students when I can have the teacher?"

"Because the teacher is too emotionally involved- so is the agent in command!"

"I know I am- but what we have here is a unique situation… we have two agents on the inside who can directly affect the outcome-"

"True, but I can't be objective! I know them too well!"

"The outcome here will depend just as much on our ability to predict the moves of Ryan and Reid as those of Cyrus!" Hotch argued. "That's why you are the best man for the job…"

"That's assuming that Scarlett and Reid are in any condition to be making moves!" he countered. Hotch's face tightened at that suggestion and he looked away a moment.

"I know how bad this is- that's why I want you doing the talking!" he pleaded.

Dave held Aaron's gaze. He saw his friend's angst.

"Alright…" Rossi finally agreed, nodding. They both turned as they heard raised voices from the other side of the tent.

"You are obviously not in charge here! I want to talk to someone in charge!" a loud voice rang out.

"I'm sorry, sir… I'm under direct orders from the FBI," a man in fatigues was following a man in a suit, trying to escort him off the scene.

"I am the Attorney General for the State of Colorado…" the suit snapped. "I demand to be told why I wasn't informed that the FBI had an undercover agent in the Seperatarian Ranch," he shouted.

Hotch tensed, recognizing Wells. He stepped over towards the man, his voice tight with controlled anger.

"The only thing you are in any position to demand is a lawyer…" he interrupted the other man's tirade.

"Who the hell are you?" Wells snapped.

"I am Aaron Hotchner, unit chief- _I'm_ the guy who is going to be telling the Attorney General of the United States whether to charge you with obstruction of justice in a federal investigation or negligent homicide!"

"You can't talk to me like that!" Wells sputtered indignantly.

"Get off my crime scene!" Hotch demanded. He stared Wells down until the man backed away, leaving the site.

Hotch nodded to the negotiator officer who'd been arguing with Wells.

"Hey, Dan… you know David Rossi…" he reintroduced the men. He nodded, shaking Rossi's hand.

"Yes, of course. We've been here before- Waco, Ruby Ridge, the Freeman stand-off…" the man said solemnly. "Let's hope someone listens to you guys this time…"

"Oh, they did more than listen- they put us in charge," Rossi told the man.

"Bring us up to speed," Hotch said to the man.

"I've sent the state police packing," Dan told them. "They started this mess, lost a man in the process- I hope that's okay…"

"If you hadn't, we would have," Hotch responded.

"Good. The county sheriffs have no run-ins with the sect, so we will use them as support…"

"We haven't had any contact so far, and they have power- solar," Dan stated. "We can shoot out the panels, if you think-"

Dave stopped him. "No- no… that could be seen as an escalation," he warned him.

Dan nodded. "That's what I figured too. But that means they have access to the news…"

"I'll get JJ to talk to the press. Are your men ready to be briefed?" Hotch asked Dan.

When the man nodded Hotch headed with him over to the support trailers.

Once inside, Rossi spoke to the people who were assisting with the negotiations.

"We call this a 'minimal loss' scenario," he told them, working through the steps. "Every person we get out is a life saved. We won't save them all. All of us have to be prepared to accept that situation."

Morgan walked up to a white board, pulling out a marker and drawing on it.

"Cults are structured like pyramids," he spoke to the room. "On top, you'll have your leader, the diehards underneath and then the biggest group, the base-is the followers… the women and children. These are the people we can save…" he told them.

"The 'trickle, flow, gush' strategy is designed to get the base followers out," Hotch spoke. "First one or two, then three or four, then as many as we can, as fast as we can… And if any point it starts to go wrong- we go in…"

"The leaders are charismatic sociopaths, who target those most susceptible to their seduction," Rossi said. "They have the ability to see what each person needs, and then they become that thing. We have to undermine the perception that we are an invading army laying siege to their home."

Dan nodded. "We will lose the fatigues. Basic rancher's clothes work for you? Like we did at the Freeman standoff?" he asked.

"Perfect- anything we can do demilitarize the situation…" Dave agreed.

The units split up, heading into their different directions to handle what needed to be taken care of while they awaited the next step of the standoff.

Later that night, the phone call that they had been waiting for came through on the communications link.

"Hello," Rossi answered.

"You killed my mommy and daddy- are you going to kill me too?" a child's voice opened the conversation. Dave breathed in deeply.

"No one is going to kill you honey," Dave answered. Hotch indicated to the techs to open the speakers so the team could hear everything together.

"This is Benjamin Cyrus. Who am I talking to?" Cyrus's voice came on the line.

"David Rossi. I am an FBI agent. We sent the state police away. It's just us and the local sheriff… All we want to do is resolve this, before anyone else gets hurt."

"Then leave us alone," Cyrus stated.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Benjamin. One of the officers bled out on the way to the hospital," Rossi explained. "So let's just stop this, before things get worse."

"Please, just put down your weapons, and come out," Dave asked him.

"We are believers Dave. We believe that God says what he means and means what he says. His laws don't depend on what state you live in."

Morgan scrubbed at his face, frustrated with having to tiptoe around with the sociopath and listen to his rhetoric.

"I have no issues with your beliefs," Rossi assured him.

"You don't, but the state does."

"I can't speak for other people."

"Oh, but God will answer for everyone in the final battle I have foreseen," Cyrus told him.

"That is why I am here, to make sure that this is not that battle," Rossi stated.

"We shall see," Cyrus said quietly.

"Yes. Now, about the three child service workers-" Dave asked.

"One of them is dead, it wasn't us," Cyrus informed him.

Hotch leaned forward on the edge of the table, lowering his head, as he heard Derek's sharp intake of breath.

Rossi held his emotions tightly in check as he asked for the next piece of information.

"I need a name, to inform the family," he spoke calmly.

"Her name was Nancy Lunde."

Derek felt relief even as he felt guilty that he did. An officer was dead- but it wasn't his sister or brother-in-law…

He could see the same emotions mirrored in the eyes of Hotch and Rossi.

It wasn't one of theirs…

"Okay." Rossi took another steadying breath, getting back to the matters at hand. "Now, please, Benjamin, send out your wounded. We will make sure they received the best possible care…"

"With enough supplies, we can tend to our own," Cyrus told him.

"Fine. I will need a few hours to put it together. I'll bring them in myself, at first light," Rossi offered. They heard the call disconnect.

Dan followed Rossi as they gathered several large boxes to fill with medical supplies. The Hostage Rescue and Support team leader had his men activating wireless listening devices and inserting them into the smallest crevices of boxes of bandages and behind labels of disinfectants and into as many places as they could to get ears in behind the scenes.

"I also want parabolics pointed at every window of the place!" Dan called over to some of his men.

"We have it, but I don't know what good it will do," one man answered. "They have blinds on every window. Someone would have to be shouting to vibrate the windows enough for them to pick up any audio…"

Dan ignored the comment, looking over to where Rossi was re-loading the now wired cardboard box he would carry inside. They continued to load several others.

"They could take you hostage," Dan reminded him as they approached the scheduled meeting time.

"I'm going to confirm that the kids, Ryan, and Reid are okay."

"Rossi, at least let me go with you," Morgan asked.

"No. This is about building trust. I go alone."

Dan nodded. "How familiar are Agents Ryan and Reid with our playbook?" he asked Hotch.

"The BAU wrote the CIRG handbook. They'll know we will be trying to get ears inside at all times."

"Good. Then let's hope they can get these people talking," Dan tucked some more bugs into the stitching of a medical bag.

"They will," Hotch told him. "They are two of our best…"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Dave drove the sheriff's pick-up truck into the compound gates just after the sun rose across the valley. He pulled one of the boxes from the truck bed, carrying it with him as he headed up the steps to the chapel and knocked on the door.

The door opened slowly and Rossi saw the man on the other side eye him up. He kept his gaze friendly, complacent, as the man answered the door, introducing himself personally.

"Dave? I'm Ben. Come on in…"

Rossi moved through the door, handing the box over to one of the men in front of him with a nod. He scanned the room quickly as they patted him down, looking for Scarlett and Reid, but not seeing either of them. He noted the guards at the doors and what type of weapons they held.

Cyrus moved beside him after tossing the battering ram off of the front stoop and closing the door. He led Dave further into the chapel.

"The children," he waved his hand towards the seats in the back as they passed a set of pillars.

"And our guests," he indicated where Scarlett and Reid sat to the left of the post. Scarlett sat with her back to the wall and Reid was leaning forward in his seat, seemingly in thought or prayer. Rossi took notice however that with Reid's position, his long frame blocked the majority of Scarlett's body behind his own. He was shielding her.

Rossi met their eyes very briefly, only showing the interest expected of an FBI agent for the hostages.

"I'd hoped you'd let me take the children," Dave started with a conversational tone.

"Nah. They are protection," Cyrus dismissed him easily. "I remember Waco- We all do…"

"This isn't Waco…"

Cyrus shook his head. "They stay for now, while I pray for God's guidance. Please don't try to force us out."

"No one is going to force you out of here," Dave promised. "Trust me."

"Trust is earned," Cyrus reminded him.

"It is," he agreed. When Cyrus turned back, leading him out of the church, he glanced at Reid quickly enough so that Spencer could read his lips.

 _By the book_ , was what Reid caught Rossi mouthing to him. He nodded slightly; making it look like it was towards Scarlett.

"They'll have ears in everything," Scarlett whispered, looking down at her feet. "We need to keep them talking, let the team know as much as possible about what's going on."

"Got it…"

"Three moves ahead, Reid," she told him, catching his eyes. Spencer looked at her quizzically.

"Like you do in chess… I want you to think three moves ahead of him at all times… okay? Promise me, Spence…"

Spencer nodded. "I promise," he agreed softly, swallowing against the tightness in his throat. "You think they'll separate us…" he worried aloud.

Scarlett saw the fear in his eyes at the thought.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "If they do, Cyrus seems to trust you enough to talk with you, so _use_ it. But stay ahead of him…"

Spencer nodded, scooting just a bit closer until his knees bumped against hers, needing to touch her. She allowed the contact and even lowered her hand to her side, brushing her fingers against the outside of his thigh as she reached as if to straighten her pant leg. Spencer moved his hand so his fingers brushed hers as she sat back up, comforted by her touch, however brief.

"Tell them I am not crazy," Cyrus asked Rossi. "Tell them I am just a man living by God's law."

"I will…" Dave offered the man his hand. Cyrus took it, giving him a firm handshake as he left the church.

Once the doors closed, Cyrus turned to his number one.

"Prepare the wine…" he told him.

People began filtering into the small chapel as the other men started pouring wine into cups, passing it along to each of the members. Scarlett and Reid were escorted to the rear of the room, and they stood together behind the crowd, observing the situation closely.

"We are celebrating," Cyrus was telling them, preaching to the flock.

"Everyone drinks, everyone rejoices, for we are all one day closer to being closer to God!" he said, pouring wine from a large jug into cups. He stopped before Jessie, filling hers…

"Look at Jessica's body language, how she looks at him," Scarlett mentioned to Spencer in a hushed whisper, watching the young girl interact with Cyrus.

"She literally worships him…" Spencer agreed, speaking quietly. "There is no way she made that 911 call." Scarlett shook her head, agreeing with him.

Cyrus continued down the line of believers, even pouring the drink into cups of the youngest children.

"Trust in God, with all your hearts," he was telling them. Reid kept the man in his line of sight, studying his facial expressions and body language closely. He saw Jessica's mother, Kathy move across the aisle, closer to Jessie. He turned some of his focus on her…

"Lean not on your own understandings, trust in mine…" Cyrus was telling them all.

Scarlett had noticed Kathy's move also.

"Look how she comes between Cyrus and her daughter- she's inserting herself between them," she told Reid.

"Acknowledge him in all things, and he will guide your way," Cyrus continued as her reached the front altar. He turned towards the crowd.

"Drink, to acknowledge him, and I will guide our way…" He raised his cup, drinking from it, watching the members as they drank also. Reid watched him again, closely.

Rossi returned to the trailer where communications had set up to listen to whatever information the bugs could receive.

"Reid and Scarlett are fine," Dave told Hotch and Morgan.

"What about Cyrus?" Hotch asked, hoping Dave had gained some insight.

"He's too calm. It's- it's like he's been waiting for this to happen, and now that it has, he feels vindicated," he shook his head.

Dan started the open line, letting everyone hear. "I've got a signal- I'm getting a signal here!" he told them.

They picked up the headsets, listening in on the feed of the conversation.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"We will be with him soon…" they heard Cyrus speaking to the members. "We have drank the poison together…"

Scarlett turned her head slightly, eyeing up Reid, shock showing on her face. This didn't fit the profile as she had seen it and was wondering if she'd missed something.

Spencer shook his head slightly. "Listen," he whispered.

"Mothers, Fathers, Children- Though we walk through the Valley of the shadow of Death, we shall fear no evil, for thou art with us…" Cyrus continued his speech, watching the followers.

Back in the trailer, Rossi looked over at Hotch. "This doesn't fit," he told him. "I talked to him, looked him in the eyes! He was calm, lucid…"

Dan looked over at Hotch then Rossi. He needed to know what to do with his team…

"They are committing mass suicide," Hotch stated.

"We don't know that!"

"Rossi, he just said it!" Morgan argued.

"My team is ready…" Dan told Hotch, asking for permission to raid the church.

"If we go in there, people are going to die!" Rossi interjected.

"People are already dying!" Hotch rubbed at his forehead, listening to Dave but feeling the need to send in the team.

Cyrus's voice continued preaching through the comlink. "And God will wipe the tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, nor sorrow nor crying…"

Reid watched as Cyrus left the altar, slowing walking back up the aisle, looking into the eyes of each of his flock.

"And there will be no more pain- for all of the former things will have passed away," he continued.

Scarlett felt her body tense, wanting to do something. Spencer noticed her hands fisted at her side. He moved closer to her.

She looked up at him. "What do we do?" she asked.

"Nothing," he told her sternly, holding her gaze.

Scarlett looked shocked for a moment.

"We have to do something," she argued. "These people just took poison!" She looked out again over the crowd, her eyes stopping on the smallest children and she could feel her heart squeeze tightly in her chest.

Reid nudged her slightly, making the action look like an accidental bump. She looked back at him and he held her eyes.

"Cyrus just _told_ them they did," he reminded her. "And I think he's bluffing..."

Scarlett calmed herself with slow deep breaths and trusted Spencer.

"Why do you think that?" she asked him.

He lowered his voice, looking towards the floor so no one would notice his lips moving.

"Just after he told them about the poison, he waited for him to start to react. Then he nodded to his first in command, Cole- and he started writing…" he told her, meeting her eyes.

"Look, Katy- they are scanning the audience, looking for reactions," he showed her. He saw her glance around, seeing what he'd noticed.

"They are writing down the names of the people who are crying," she saw it now.

"It's a loyalty list…" he whispered.

Scarlett nodded. "So he knows who will follow him to the end…" she huffed out a tense breath. Reid met her eyes again, and saw her understanding in them. She brushed against his side as she moved past him and he felt her press three fingers against his palm quickly.

"You are staying ahead of him," she told him softly. Spencer nodded once, turning his attention back up to Cyrus.

Rossi was having a more difficult time trying to convince Hotch not to send in the troops.

"Look! Jim Jones pulled the same stunt!" he practically shouted at Aaron. "They did a test run just like this years before the real thing!" he warned his friend.

Hotch raised his hand at Rossi, making his decision.

"Prepare your men to go in…" he told Dan.

They heard Cyrus's next words at almost the same moment.

"Be still! There was no poison!" the cult leader's voice echoed over the listening devices.

Hotch straighten back up. "Dan, wait!"

Morgan picked his headset back up, listening.

"Instead, this was a test of _faith_!" Cyrus was raising his voice, chastising those of the members who hadn't passed the test. "Because your adversary, the Devil walketh around as a roaring lion, choosing whom he may devour!" he shouted at them all.

"Watch each other for signs of weakness," he warned them, lowering his voice. "You are your brother's keeper."

Hotch shook his head in astonishment. "Tell the men to stand down," he told Dan, giving Dave an apologetic look.

"Yes sir," Dan responded. He looked over at Rossi. "Nice call…"

Dave nodded, grateful that it wasn't going any further at the moment.

JJ entered the small tech room, looking for Hotch. "We got the former sect leader here, now," she told him.

Morgan stood up from his seat. "I've got this," he told Hotch and Rossi, grateful to have a task that could prove useful to make some headway against Cyrus.

He walked through the rented trailer to the back where he knew they would have placed Kane. The small office was empty, except for a desk and two chairs. Leo sat in one of them, and grinned at Morgan.

"Charles Mulgrew is his real name," Leo wasted no time getting to the point. Morgan could see that Kane hated Cyrus just by the way he spat out his name.

"Charles Mulgrew," he repeated, a little easier as he eyed up Derek. "His mother was five months pregnant with him when she showed up on our doorstep. He turned out to be one of the smart ones," Leo stated.

"Amazing memory that kid had. Anything he read he could repeat back to you, and he _did_ …" he continued. "Mouthy little son of bitch…"

Morgan nodded, appreciating the older man's insights. Already he knew that Cyrus- Mulgrew- had an eidetic memory. He hoped Scarlett and Reid were aware, so they could use the information also.

"Why did he leave the ranch?" Derek asked.

"When he was about seventeen, a couple of our younger girls came to me and said that he'd been messing with them…" Leo stated, his tone turning flat.

"You mean sexually…" Morgan clarified.

"Yes, sir, I do. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm a libertarian. But those little girls- well they were way too young for the attentions of a seventeen year old man to be messing with…"

Morgan nodded. Cyrus was a pedophile and had a preference.

"So you kicked him out for that."

"Yes, sir, I did…" Kane kept his eyes locked to Morgan's letting him see the disgust he harbored for Mulgrew.

"His mother took him to Kentucky. I hadn't heard anything from him for years. Then when he finally showed up again, he said his mother had died and he'd found God, and that he wanted to come home…"

"How does a kid like that, get rid of you?" Morgan asked.

Kane smirked. "One day, he came to me and told me that God had told him that I should leave the ranch. I told him that if God felt that way, then God could tell me himself. He put a gun to my head and said 'He just did.'," Kane narrowed his gaze at Morgan.

"It took me twenty years to build that ranch. I'll do anything I can to help you send that ungrateful little shit straight to hell…"

"I'm going to need a map…"

Leo grinned viciously. "Get me some paper and a pencil," he offered, moving closer to the desk.

Derek found him some and called Penny for more information on Charles Mulgrew.

Garcia answered the line quickly. "Tell me I can do something to help, my love…"

"I got a name," he told her, hearing the worry in her voice. "Charles Mulgrew, focus in Kentucky, around seventeen years old… and conference everyone else in so they hear this too. Tell Hotch I'm bringing over the map Kane made for us, and it includes all the passages and tunnels…"

"Right, done- everyone get that?" Penelope hit the keys of her computer, connecting the call instantaneously. He heard Hotch and Rossi say yes and also heard JJ's voice.

"Charles Mulgrew… convicted in Kentucky at the age of eighteen, three counts of statutory rape…"

"So we need to talk to the warden?" Morgan asked as he carried the hand drawn maps to where everyone was now gathered under the tent outside of the compound gates. He handed them over to Dan who immediately had his team scouring them.

"I'm already ahead of you on that honey, I have Mr. Kentucky Warden on the other line, he said once inside, Mulgrew became a model citizen…"

"Well, it's not that hard to behave when you are in protective custody the whole time," Derek stated.

"General population is a rough place for a child molester," Hotch mentioned.

"No, no- I don't think you guys understand, this guy was a model citizen… he volunteered at the prison hospital, in the AIDS ward… he was reading to prisoners dying of HIV…"

"Good stuff, baby girl…" Derek told her.

"Damn straight," she told him. "Now get our friends back, baby…" Penny held back a sniffle and closed the line. Looking at her computer screens, studying the face of Charles Mulgrew, she prayed that the information she'd found helped the team, and wished Mulgrew to hell…

"Well, this makes things worse," Rossi stated.

"That he was a model citizen?" Derek asked, thinking it indicated the level of patience the man could demonstrate.

"That he's been to prison," Dave corrected him.

"He knows what happens to child molesters there," Morgan nodded.

"And if the current sexual allegations are true, and he thinks we know it? He's not coming out of there…" Hotch added.

"Then we have to make him think he is not going back," Rossi stated.

"JJ, we need a press release stating that the current allegations against the church have been unfounded. We have absolutely no evidence of the sexual allegations…" Hotch called out to her.

JJ moved quickly through the tent to the laptops, her face tight in fear.

"You need to see this," she told them.

"What?" Hotch asked her. She just opened the live feed of the news…

A reporter came into view from just over the ridge where the media had set up their own camps.

" _Now well into its second day, the standoff at the Seperatian Sect Ranch has now been taken over by the FBI. There has been much speculation in regards to hostages, but anonymous sources inside the Attorney General's office have confirmed that there is an undercover FBI agent being held inside the Seperatian Ranch_."

Morgan lifted his hands to his face, covering the fear that crossed it and began pacing. Hotch shook his head in disbelief.

Rossi looked up at the sky, praying that Cyrus didn't do anything rash once he heard the information.

" _Hostage negotiators are saying that they are making headway with the sects leadership, and are hopeful for a positive outcome. There is still no word as to why an FBI agent was sent in undercover, alone_ …"

JJ wiped a tear from her cheek, terribly afraid for her friends inside…


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Spencer sat on a low bench, leaning forward and jumping his leg nervously as Scarlett sat across from him in the narrow room off of the chapel. He had no idea why they were suddenly removed and separated from the others, but it made him wary. He kept glancing over at Scarlett, but her face was unreadable.

When the armed guard at the door moved out of the way allowing Cyrus to enter the room, he panicked at the rage he saw in the man's eyes. He looked at Scarlett and saw her face tighten and she shook her head at him.

 _Do not react_ … he heard her unspoken plea. _Game face, Spence_ … he heard her voice in his head. He let the nerves show on his face, meeting Cyrus's glare.

"Which one of you is it?" Cyrus spoke quietly, staring down Scarlett first, his anger clear despite the tone. He shifted his gaze to Spencer, seeing him swallow nervously. He unbuttoned his over shirt pulling out a handgun and noted Reid's flinch.

"Which one of you is the FBI agent?" he asked, looking back at Scarlett.

She held his gaze, seeing his challenge to her. He had already decided it was her, she knew.

Spencer backed nervously away from the gun, reacting as a civilian would at being threatened with a weapon. In his mind he was calculating the odds of being able to disarm Cyrus and still overcome the two armed guards at the door. It wasn't feasible and Scarlett could be caught in the interim. He had to play the role.

"Wh- why do you think one of us is FBI?" he asked nervously. He shot a brief glance to Scarlett.

Cyrus sighed deeply, loading the chamber of the gun. "God will forgive me for what I must do…" he said, aiming the weapon at Reid's forehead. Spencer's eyes widened in fear.

"I-I don't know what you are talking about," Reid stammered, shaking his head and looking away from the gun.

"One of you does," Cyrus shrugged. "Who is it?"

Scarlett felt fear run like ice through her veins as Cyrus pointed the gun to Reid's temple and took the safety off.

"No! Stop!" she stilled him with her plea. "It's me…" she took Cyrus's attention away from Spencer, and the man grinned down at her.

"It's me," she repeated, making her voice stronger, adding a tone of frustration, as if upset at having her cover blown.

Cyrus clicked the safety back into place and she let out a small breath.

Scarlett could see the vindication in Cyrus's eyes, as if he'd known all along and knew she'd made the right call.

Scarlett saw Reid's face tighten, a frown marring his brow, and he narrowed his gaze at her. It was the only outward sign of his anger- he didn't want her to do this… there had to be another way…

Spencer opened his mouth to stay something and she quickly caught his eyes.

 _NO_! her look clearly stated and she let anger show on her features towards him. As soon as she saw him slam his mouth shut, his lips pressed into a tight line, she put the mask back up. The glare and tightness she saw in his hazel gaze spoke volumes to her. Spencer was telling her he was against this plan. She looked away from him, indicating she expected him to do his job, and let her do hers.

Cyrus stuck the gun back into the waistband of his jeans, moving almost casually to stand beside Scarlett. She was expecting it though when he snapped out his hand and grabbed her by the back of her hair.

Scarlett allowed him to yank her onto the floor, dragging her across the room. She played up her part, thrashing as he pulled, not fighting back and crying out as if in pain. She saw Reid jump up, fists clenched.

"No, oww- stop…" she twisted, kicking her legs around. She hit Spencer's foot. "NO… STOP…" she changed her voice, clearly letting him know she was talking to him, not Cyrus.

She saw his face, the stricken look in his eyes as he pleaded with her. She shook her head again.

"Katy…" she read her name on his lips and knew it was taking all of his control to stop himself from defending her.

"Stay. Learn." She mouthed the words back to him.

Reid stepped forward towards the door as Cyrus dragged her out of the room and was quickly met by the guards. He heard the shotgun load and stepped back, pacing the floor, running his hands through his hair nervously, trying to think of a way to handle the situation.

Cyrus dragged Scarlett through the short hallway, pulling her up by her arm and shoving her into a supply closet. She looked around quickly, seeing some of the medical supply boxes that Rossi had delivered.

 _They'll have ears in here_ , she thought gratefully. She'll be able to let her team know that her cover had been blown, but not Spencer's…

"I told you NOT to put me in this position!" Cyrus screamed at her, his true colors showing now that it was just them inside the locked room. Scarlett grinned evilly.

"Who do you think you are dealing with?" he snarled, shoving her against the shelves.

Scarlett let him push her around, not fighting back. When he backhanded her hard, she let out a real yelp of pain.

Back in the service tent, the team was listening on their headsets. Hotch lowered his head into his hands, hearing the blows that Scarlett was taking.

"Why isn't she fighting back?!" Morgan roared in frustration. "Where's Reid?"

Rossi raised his hand, trying to calm Derek. "She's still playing her role, Morgan… she's not fighting back for a reason…" he reminded him.

Scarlett felt the next blow to the side of her head and cried out, dropping herself to the ground to try to protect herself as best she could. She curled into a ball as she saw him pull back his leg to kick her.

"Ungh, oooofff," she lost her breath as the kick landed against her back and ribs.

"We've got to get in there!" Hotch lamented, ripping his headset off.

"If we do, we risk the lives of everyone in there!" Dave told him, his own voice hitching as he heard Scarlett taking the beating.

"Get up!" Cyrus growled, pulling Scarlett from the floor and slapping her again. The blow sent her reeling back against one of the walls and she hit a mirror hanging on it, unexpectedly. It smashed under her weight, cutting her hands and arms, shrapnel hitting her chest and stinging her briefly. She wiped at some blood on her face, turning back to face Cyrus.

She eyed him up, wishing that she could react, wanting so badly to kick his ass. Instead she let him grab her hair again. _He fought like a girl_ … she thought scathingly. Although he was getting in a few good hits, she'd had much worse in her life.

"Proverbs 20:30 tells us blows and wounds cleanse away evil," Cyrus grinned evilly at her. She resisted the urge to scoff at his bastardizion of Christianity.

Instead she used the opportunity to speak to get a message to her brother. She knew he had to be out there, listening with the team…

When Cyrus swung her around, throwing her into the opposite wall, she remained on her feet, standing closer to the bugged boxes.

" _I have stood here before, inside the pouring rain…"_ she said, seemingly to Cyrus. His face looked confused for a moment before he responded.

"I'm quoting Scripture and you mock me with song lyrics?" he screamed at her.

Hotch picked up on that, looking to Morgan.

"What are you, some sort of _heathen_?" Cyrus smacked her across her face again.

"Pagan," she corrected him, giving him a bloody grin. He raised his hand again, knocking her to the floor.

"She's antagonizing him!" Morgan shouted.

"No, wait- listen to what she's _saying_! She's telling us something…" Rossi told him. "Lyrics- Derek, you know your sister. What were the lyrics…"

Derek closed his eyes, bringing her words back into his head.

"It's a song- Sting- the Police, it's called 'King of Pain'," he told them. He shook his head, trying to remember the words…

" _I have stood here before inside the pouring rain, with the world turning circles running 'round my brain, I guess I'm always hoping that you'll end this reign, but it's my destiny to be the King of Pain."_

" _There's a little black spot on the sun today- that's my soul out there. It's the same old thing as yesterday… That's my soul out there_ …" he repeated only the refrains from the song that were predominant through it.

Morgan looked over at Hotch and Rossi. "She's telling us that she can take it. She been here before, or she's had worse…" Derek's mind brought the images of Scarlett when she was younger, after she'd received a beating from her abusive father. He winced, turning against the pictures in his head.

"You're right; she's not fighting back, on purpose. She wants us to take Cyrus down- end his reign…" he told them.

"And the second part?" Hotch asked.

"Reid's cover is still intact, same as yesterday. He's still with the group, but he's the one who is in the position to help us now from the inside…" Morgan also heard her unspoken plea to watch out for him. He was her soul, and she was worrying about him, more than herself.

"Reid is holding up his cover, still working the case. That's why he isn't with her… she wouldn't let him," Hotch agreed, listening again to Scarlett's conversation. He flinched at a particularly bad sounding blow and saw Morgan throw his headset on the table.

Derek walked away from the tent, wanting to hit something…

"Pride goeth before the fall," Cyrus told her, removing his belt from his jeans. Scarlett lay face down on the floor, eyeing him surreptitiously. She refused to react to her fear as he pulled the belt off…

He was a child molester, she reminded herself. He wouldn't rape her. He probably couldn't since she didn't fit his preferences…

At least that was what she prayed, considering her slight build…

Cyrus hit her back with the belt, using it like a whip. Scarlett screamed as it landed across her shoulders, then lower back.

Hotch winced, pulling the headset from his own ears, and saw Rossi close his eyes and flinch each time Cyrus hit her again.

After three more strikes, Scarlett lay still, curled on the floor. She didn't make a sound after the last blow, hoping if he thought she was unconscious he would lose interest in her. He was getting too much pleasure from beating her, and she didn't want to take a chance he would resort to rape.

"Tie her up and take her to one of the rooms upstairs," Cyrus stated flatly to the men standing guard as he exited the room.

She prayed that Morgan had been listening and got her message. She prayed that Reid stayed ahead of Cyrus and remained safe. She prayed the entire time she allowed herself to dragged, dead weight up to a room on the second floor. And then she lay there, eyes closed, body hurting, she prayed for a way to get them out of this alive.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Spencer stood in the chapel office, waiting with some of the other men for Cyrus to return. When the leader entered the room, Reid saw him replacing his belt and felt anger burn hot in his veins.

"What did you do?!" he ground out as he stood before the other man, fury taking over his sense of calm or concern for the situation at hand. He noticed Cyrus look him over, taken by surprise by Reid's sudden change of demeanor.

Spencer quickly adapted, hoping to make Benjamin believe he was just reacting as a concerned man worried about a defenseless woman.

It seemed to work, because Cyrus only tilted his head, regarding Reid once more as he buckled his belt.

"Spare the rod, spoil the child," he told Spencer. "Someone had to teach her a lesson for lying," he stated. "She will be fine. A few good lashes with a belt never killed anyone…"

"She's not a child…" Reid muttered, keeping his eyes on Cyrus.

"No, and if someone had taught her the lessons when she was, she wouldn't be lying now," Cyrus looked over Reid again. Spencer lowered his gaze, pretending to consider the man's words.

 _She's alright, she's okay_ … Spencer repeated the mantra in his mind. He looked Cyrus over surreptitiously. He couldn't see any injuries that indicated Scarlett had fought back. _If it had been bad enough, she would have defended herself. She would have kicked ass. She could have handled him easily_ … he reminded himself.

"How long have you been working alongside the agent?" Cyrus asked, breaking into Reid's thoughts.

Spencer noticed the other man pull a medical bag over off the floor, setting it on the desk. He recognized it as one of the standard issues that would have been delivered with the supplies. He knew it was wired.

Cyrus pulled some antiseptic wipes from the bag, cleaning off his scraped knuckles and removing some blood. Scarlett's blood…

Spencer pushed down his anger, feeling it burn in his stomach, even as he swallowed against the bile in his throat. He had to be careful, not to slip up with the questioning. He knew he had to get Cyrus talking for the team outside.

"Not very long… She transferred over last month…" he lied smoothly.

"Did you know she was FBI?" Benjamin asked.

Spencer shook his head negatively. "Nancy, uh, told me she was from the Department of Child Services in Denver," he said, swallowing hard as if nervous.

"In the four years that I've worked with Nancy, she'd never lied to me before…" he added, linking himself more closely to his undercover persona.

"That you are aware of…" Cyrus reminded him, falling back into a more comfortable rapport with Spencer, trusting him.

Reid blew out a soft breath and nodded as if in agreement. He let Cyrus think he was ashamed of being so easily duped. He needed to make Cyrus believe that he was looking for guidance, so the narcissistic bastard would keep talking.

"I'll send one of the women up to tend to your 'friend'," Cyrus said wryly as he watched Spencer's eyes. "I can see you have a soft heart towards her…"

"I- It's not just her… I don't like seeing anyone get hurt," he countered, playing shy, keeping his voice gentle.

"Hmm. Sometimes pain is necessary for growth," Cyrus explained to the younger man, thinking he was reading him correctly. The soft spoken man had a crush on the woman…

"But I will let you take some food and water up to her later, to see for yourself that she is fine…" Ben offered the kindness genuinely.

Reid felt the man's hand on his shoulder, resisting the urge to grab it and snap his wrist. Instead, he hoped he looked humbled when he met the sociopath's eyes.

"Thank you," he said softly.

Scarlett lay across the narrow bed, staring up at the ceiling, when she heard the door open. Kathy entered the room, bringing some clean towels and water in a bowl.

The mother sat down on the bed next to her and began to clean up her wounds.

"You should have told Cyrus right away who you were," she told Scarlett quietly. "He won't tolerate lies… and he always finds out… He's a prophet- he predicted that the devil's army would lay siege to us and they did," the woman said, wiping off the blood from Scarlett's face.

"Some would call that a self-fulfilling prophecy," Scarlett snarked.

"I don't think you realize just how dangerous it is to go against Cyrus," Kathy said sadly, worry filling her eyes.

Scarlett noticed and something occurred to her. Kathy had made that 911 call, trying to protect her daughter. She softened her tone and met the woman's eyes.

"I know it would have to take a very strong woman, with a very good reason, to stand up to him and do what's right…" she told her.

Kathy blushed slightly, looking away at the door. She bit her lips nervously, finishing wiping Scarlett's face down, ignoring the comment.

She wasn't going to admit anything, yet. Scarlett changed the subject.

"Where did they take the man I came here with?"

Kathy met her eyes. "Cyrus is keeping him close. They are in the chapel office. He's alright- I, I think Cyrus sees something in him that he appreciates… He is very good at reading people and helping them to reach their potentials…"

Scarlett resisted the urge to snort at how the woman glorified the bastard. Instead she did a little happy dance in her head. Spencer was pulling it off, duping them all.

 _Go Spence_! _That's my boy_ … she thought, stifling a smug grin. Pride filled her heart momentarily.

Scarlett sat up as best she could, to take a drink of the water from the glass Kathy offered her. She rinsed the blood from her mouth and took another drink. Doing a quick inventory of the worse of the pain, she figured out she had nothing broken, but her ribs were bruised, as she was sure were her jaw and left eye. She could feel the welts on her back from the belt swelling up, but regulated the pain to a corner of her mind.

Kathy cleaned up the blood covered towels and bowl, hurriedly leaving the room as she heard voices outside the door.

Scarlett huffed out a breath and stared at the ceiling again, wondering how she could use Kathy to help her get herself and the others out of this mess when the time came to bolt.

Downstairs in the office, Reid was keeping Cyrus talking, knowing the team was listening.

"Their law says that a fifteen year old girl is a child," Cyrus was saying, "When fifty years ago, that same law said that a fourteen year old girl was an adult. Tell me, have children changed so much in fifty years?" he asked, trying to scope out Reid's take on the laws.

Spencer cleared his throat, thinking of his wording to gain more trust.

"I can't tell you the number of times I've investigated abuse charges against small religious groups. Almost all of them turn out to be false," Reid offered.

"What do you think of that?" Benjamin asked.

"It doesn't really matter what I think," Spencer said.

"It matters to me…" Cyrus stated, looking him over.

"Why?" Spencer asked.

"Because God wants to save you…" the other man looked at him, smiling softly, as if he was giving Reid a great gift.

"That's why he sent you here," Benjamin continued. "That's the reason…"

Spencer thought quickly, trying to push headway into the negotiations.

"Uh, on the next call- you should test them… test the negotiator…" he told Cyrus. "Make him prove that he isn't a liar," Spencer said, using the obvious push, since lying seemed to be a hot button issue with Cyrus.

"How would you suggest I do that?" Benjamin regarded him, interested.

"Ask for the identity of the FBI agent," Reid shrugged.

Christopher, Cyrus's second in command looked over at him. "No. We already know her identity," he scowled.

"But they don't know that," Cyrus considered Reid's suggestion.

"The FBI would never tell us…" Christopher scoffed.

"They keep asking you to release people… so tell them you will release a kid… and, and that you won't harm the agent, and if they really care about the children, they'll have to tell you," he said, really hoping that there were live wires in the bag, now that he'd committed himself. He pushed away the negative thought.

The team would be listening…

Morgan held his breath while he heard Reid trying to get a kid out and guarantee Scarlett's safety. He closed his eyes, hoping it would work.

"You are trying to get us to release a child!" Christopher snapped at Spencer.

"It's one kid," Reid shrugged. "If they don't hold up their end of the deal, you'll know they can't be trusted…" he argued.

"He has a point," Cyrus said, quieting Christopher.

Rossi grinned over at Hotch from where they were listening in.

"Reid's got him…"

Hotch breathed a sigh of relief, hoping that meant Scarlett was safe, at least for the time being- and that it would help take Cyrus down.

Cyrus saw a look of concern come across Christopher's face.

"What is it, Christopher?" he asked.

"Some have been talking about leaving…" he told Cyrus.

"Leaving…"

"Yeah," the man nodded.

"Wake the baby. Let's let them meet the orphan they have made…"

As the day started to turn towards evening, Spencer waited with Cyrus and the other men in the office. He stiffened nervously as the phone rang…

Cyrus answered the call.

"How are you doing today, Ben?" Rossi asked.

"I will release a child," he told Dave, without preamble. " _If_ you tell me the identity of the FBI agent. I promise no harm will come to them, from this point forward…"

"I can't give you that information," Dave insisted.

"I will send the child now," Cyrus stated.

The team saw from the live video feed when the little girl, not much more than three, came down the stairs and into the compound's driveway.

Hotch sent Dan and Morgan to go in the sheriff's pickup truck to rescue the girl.

Morgan crossed the lot in his Kevlar vest, concern for a sneak attack very real. He wanted to get the child out of the open and away from harm as soon as possible.

"It's okay. Come here. Come to me sweetie, you are safe now," he coaxed the little girl, sweeping her up into his arms, taking her back into the truck.

"We got her, Hotch…"

Rossi nodded, picking up the phone. "We're taking a big risk here Ben…" he told the man.

"Trust is earned," Cyrus reminded him.

"Her name is Scarlett Ryan…" Dave breathed out, sounded tense. "She came in with two child service workers to interview the girls."

Cyrus smiled slightly at Reid. "There's a good chance we can work this out, Dave…" Benjamin stated. "I'm going to provide another sign of good faith…"

"You are doing a good thing here," Rossi stated.

Cyrus disconnected the call, looking over to Christopher.

"Assemble everyone in the chapel," he told his second. "Get Agent Ryan down here…"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"It has come to my attention that some of our brothers and sisters have lost their faith in God. That the no longer love us; that they want to abandon us… So when I call out your name, please stand…" Cyrus began reading off names as he stood at the front of the chapel.

Reid stood at the back, behind everyone, watching the door for when the guards would bring in Scarlett. The physical need to see her was so real that he could feel his body tremble with nerves.

He saw two of the armed guards shove her into the room and stand back to the doors.

Spencer tamped down on the rage that boiled in his blood as he noted her injures. Her shirt was stained with blood. Bruises ran the entire length of her left cheekbone up to her temple. He felt himself moving towards her as his legs shook underneath him.

Scarlett felt Reid move to her side as she observed what Cyrus was doing.

"God, he looks pissed," she whispered, turning to meet Spencer's eyes.

That sentiment was light compared to the level of rage that she now saw brewing in his hazel gaze. He was _livid_.

 _Oh boy_ , Scarlett thought, watching Reid closely. She'd forgotten how she must appear to him…

"Stop, boy…" she said softly. "Step back, bring it back down, _now_ ," she warned him, her eyes pleading. "It's not as bad as it looks, I swear…"

Spencer made a small sound in the back of his throat and reached for her.

Scarlett backed away, widening her eyes at him. The guards were right behind her…

"I-I'm so sorry," he managed to squeak out on a strangled whisper. He should have been in her place…

"No," she kept her eyes locked on his. "No, Spence… Listen to me! I know what you are thinking and it _never_ would have worked that way. Cyrus wouldn't have believed it, and would have killed us _both_ …" she hissed.

"But..."

" _Reid_ ," she snapped at him tensely when he reached for her again. He dropped his hands immediately and watched her face.

"Stop. Pay attention. Look at who he is releasing," she ordered him to get his head back in the game.

Spencer bit his lips together tightly and frowned, but looked back towards the room. His scowled deepened as he noticed what she had pointed out.

"It's the ones who failed the loyalty test," he said, meeting her gaze again. He sucked in a breath, realizing what that meant...

"I'll get word to the team. Wait for a sign from outside to indicate what time the raid will come, in case I can't reach you myself…" he told her quietly.

As much as it killed him to do so, he moved away from her side, heading over towards Cyrus.

Benjamin looked over at Reid, noting he had been talking to Scarlett. Spencer covered it quickly.

"I told her she shouldn't have lied to you…" Spencer said.

"To either of us," Cyrus reminded him, using the words to try to create a bond between them. Reid nodded.

"Take her back…" Cyrus told the men. Spencer watched her leave the room, his heart breaking in his chest.

"Those of you that are standing, collect your belongings and report to the front hallway immediately," Cyrus announced.

Reid stood inside the office once again with Cyrus and his two men. Benjamin had called Rossi back, telling him that they were letting some of the residents leave.

"We will surrender tomorrow at noon," Cyrus told him. "I want the press to be there to insure we are treated fairly. We can discuss the details at our seven am call… I'll see you then, Dave."

"I'll look forward to it…"

"Oh and one other thing," Benjamin said. "Could you send some food in?"

"Sure, what would you like?" Dave asked.

"Fried chicken, all the fixins…" he said lightly.

"You got it," Rossi said, ending the call. He quickly picked up the headset to listen to what was now being said in the room.

"I don't understand," Christopher said. "Why did you let them all go?" he asked Cyrus.

"They weren't prepared to do what needs to be done," Reid answered.

Christopher turned on Spencer and screamed at him. "You're not one of us! You don't know what it takes to be prepared!"

Cyrus watched Spencer back away nervously from Christopher. "Listen to him…" he told his second.

"Tell him," he told Reid, wanting to see if Spencer really understood what was going to happen.

Spencer looked nervously between the two men.

"They, uh- They failed the test. They had their chance to prove their faith, when Cyrus told them that they'd sacrifice themselves for God. But instead they showed that they weren't worthy. That's why he wants the media around- to bear witness to your _true_ _final_ act of sacrifice…" Spencer told him, stressing the words for his team.

"Oh, is that so? And how do you know that?"

"I'm always looking for signs of things to come…" Reid said, praying the team picked up on his words.

Rossi understood.

"Reid is talking to us. He wants to know when we are coming- he's telling us this is it… Time has run out. We've got to go in!"

Dan had a local restaurant send in the requested meal. The teams were busy setting in more bugs and assembling the take out containers.

"Drugging the food is not an option, because there are still small children in there," Hotch told them. "We are going to have to go in…"

"Best time to hit them is when they are least mentally prepared…" Rossi stated.

"Three a.m.- the biorhythms are at their low point then…" Dan responded.

"We need a diversion, something that plays into their expectations…"

"Cyrus brought up Waco…" Dan said. "I know how to use that. We need to bring up Humvees…"

"The plan depends on Reid and Ryan separating the diehards from the followers," Hotch said.

"And delaying Cyrus's diehards from reacting to our assault," Morgan added.

"No, that's not my main concern-Reid and Scarlett know what they need to do…"

"So what is your concern?"

"Letting them know when we are coming," he stated. "The whole thing hinges on them being ready at three a.m."

"Come on guys, quick…" Dan was loading up the food boxes. "We've got to get the bugs in the boxes before the food gets too cold…"

Hotch picked up the lid to the take out containers. "Perfect," he said, grabbing a marker and starting to write 'Now open til 3am' on each lid. Morgan started on some of the Styrofoam containers.

Dan looked over at them. "Do you want my guys to start adding that?"

"No," Hotch told them. "Reid and Scarlett will know our handwriting. Ones they don't may be mistaken as not a message…"

"Okay."

"Let's just hope they see the containers to know it is our handwriting…" Morgan said, writing on two more.

Scarlett lay up in the bed on the second floor, becoming frustrated. She'd been angling her foot towards the blinds, opening them a bit with the heel of her shoe so her voice would be picked up by the parabolics that she knew had to be pointed at the windows. Problem was she didn't know if the team was aiming at her window.

She blew out a breath, stretching and tried again.

"If you can hear me, I know you're coming. I can try to get the women and children down to the tunnels, but I need to know when you are coming…"

She dropped back down from her arched position and sighed, scooting lower on the bed to get more of the blind open. With her hands still tied behind her, she pushed them into the bed, lifting herself up from her hips and shoving the blind up higher. She started repeating her mantra from the past hour over yet again.

"If you can hear me, I know you're coming. I can try to get the women and children down to the tunnels, but I need to know when you are coming…"

"If you can hear me, I _know_ you're coming. I can try to get the women and children down to the tunnels, but I need to know _when_ you are coming…"

 _Ugh_! she dropped back down when she heard footsteps outside. When they passed, she tried again.

"If you can hear me… I _know_ you are coming. I will try to get the women and children down into the tunnels, but I _need_ to _know_ when you are coming…"

Dan moved over to where Morgan was going over the maps.

"What's up?" he asked, seeing the look on the man's face.

"Ryan- it's Ryan… she's talking to us…" he told Derek, holding up the portable radio for him to hear.

Derek felt his heart jump in his chest at the sound of his sister's voice.

" _If you can hear me, I know you're coming… I can try to get the women and children down to the tunnels, but I need to know when you are coming…"_

"Let's go…" Morgan said, grabbing a laser sighted rifle and following Dan.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

They reached the area where the parabolic mics had picked up Scarlett, and Dan pointed to the specific window. He kept the portable tuned to Scarlett's voice. She was still repeating her message, and they could see her feet pulling the blind in the window.

"She must be standing on her head," Dan mentioned as Derek set up the laser. Morgan laughed in spite of himself.

"Probably…" he grinned. He directed the light through where the blind split between her feet.

Scarlett saw the red light from the laser reflect over her boot and hit the wall…

"Okay… Oh God, okay- I got you! I got you. What time?"

She watched the light flash three times against the wall.

"Three a.m.?" she watched the light slide up and down as a yes.

"Yes. Okay- Understood."

Scarlett let out a huff of breath. "Reid… Reid is on the first floor with Cyrus…" she panted, nerves and her position coupled with her injuries making her out of breath. "Please, remember there are children in here…"

The light on the wall made a sideways "v" and then what looked like a "3"…

Text-speak for a heart.

"Derek…" her voice cracked slightly and the light went up and down again.

She choked on a sob. "I'm okay, D. God… I love you too- Get Reid!" she told him. "Someone's coming!"

She dropped the blind and got back into position, just as Kathy walked in with a bottle of water.

"Hold on Katy-bird… we are coming…" Morgan said as the blind fell and they lost contact.

Derek looked at Dan, noticing the look of confusion on his face.

"She's my sister…" he explained gruffly. "Reid is her husband, my brother-in-law. This is personal…" he told the other man.

Dan nodded, not saying anything.

Spencer sat in the office as the food was delivered. He noticed Hotch's writing on one lid, the message said 'Now open til 3am'. Another container was dropped onto it and he saw Morgan's writing. 'New Hours, now open til 3am!'

He swallowed deeply, immediately trying to think of a way to get the information to Scarlett. He needed to make sure she knew when they were coming. He picked up one of the containers and turned to Cyrus.

"I know what you are thinking," Cyrus told him.

Spencer schooled his face to impassive, setting the food back down. There wasn't any way for him to know, he reminded himself.

"You don't have to be a part of this," Cyrus continued. "You can go…"

Spencer nodded and bit at his lips nervously.

"I think I'd prefer to stay," he told Cyrus in all honesty. "Somebody needs to tell your story," he offered.

"Then I'm glad it will be you…" Cyrus said, walking over to a box and opening it. "Now that the false believers have been cleared from our midst, it's time we make our final preparations."

Reid looked over his shoulder and saw the man pull c4 out along with wires and charges. He glanced around at the other boxes that some men were bringing in, noting there was enough explosive to level the entire compound. Cyrus held a main switch in his hand and ran his fingers over it lovingly.

Reid swallowed hard. He had to get to Scarlett and warn her. He picked up the container again and moved slowly towards Cyrus.

"Uh, you- mentioned before about taking food up to the agent?" he asked gently, indicating the takeout tray in his hand. "May I?"

Cyrus regarded him slowly. "Answer me honestly and you may…"

Spencer nodded, avoiding his eyes.

"Sure…" he swallowed again.

"Why?" Cyrus asked, waiting for Reid response.

He closed his eyes, bringing a thought to his mind that would allow the familiar heat of a blush warm his face.

"I-uh, I like her… liked, her, I mean… I think… She was nice to me, the past few weeks we worked together, and I thought…" he huffed out a nervous breath. "I thought she sort of liked me too," he looked down as if embarrassed.

"And you want to ask if she was lying about that too," Cyrus concluded.

"Yeah," he nodded quickly. He met Cyrus's eyes and looked away.

Benjamin nodded, satisfied by the answer and the truth he saw in the young man's eyes.

"Go… go ahead," he looked over to one of his men. "Show him to where we have the agent staying…" he regarded Spencer again. "And give him some privacy with her," he smirked.

"You get your answers my friend," he told Reid.

Spencer bit the inside of his cheek and gave Cyrus a sad smile as he followed the other man up the stairs.

At the same time as Reid was trying to get to her, Scarlett was attempting to get Kathy to help her get the women and children away from the danger.

"Cyrus is planning mass suicide…" she told the mother. Kathy shook her head. "Kathy, I know you made that 911 call…"

Kathy's eyes teared up. "This is all my fault. None of this would have happened if I hadn't made that call…"

"You were protecting your daughter. I can understand that," she told the woman. "I have a twelve year old daughter myself, and I know there is nothing that I wouldn't do to protect her…" Scarlett said.

"There were other girls before Jessie- he'd take them away and marry them in secret and we weren't permitted to speak of it," she told Scarlett. "So when she came to me, asking for my consent, I wanted to take her and run- but I was afraid, she wouldn't leave him!"

"So you wanted us to take her…"

"I wanted to save her from Cyrus…"

"I can give you another chance. The FBI is coming in at 3am. I need you to get Jessie, and the women and children down into the tunnels…"

Kathy stood pacing and shaking her head 'no'…

"Why are you telling me this?" Kathy asked; her eyes full of fear.

"Because I have faith that you are a strong enough woman to do the right thing for Jessica," Scarlett told her. Kathy shook her head again and left the room.

Scarlett rolled her eyes and leaned back against the wall. She prayed Kathy would believe her and see the truth so she would help get the others to safety…

In just a few more moments, she heard voices outside in the hallway. Hoping that it was Kathy, she sat up straighter in the bed and watched the door. She felt a wave of love and relief when she saw Spencer enter instead. He talked to the other man at the door for another moment before looking at her. The guard shrugged, closing the door behind him, leaving Scarlett alone with Spencer.

As soon as Reid heard the guard's footsteps echo down the hall, he moved across the room dropping to his knees before Scarlett. He reached around her waist, untying her as he spoke quickly.

"The raid is coming at 3am- you need to work on getting the women and children out of harm's way. Cyrus thinks of me as a confidant so I'll stick close to him and stall him the best I can- but they are already running lines between explosives through the stairs, hallways and interior walls… they mean to bring the entire compound down in a blaze. Cyrus has already requested to have media presence, but with the team coming in at three, he could trigger the explosion at any time…"

Scarlett watched his face, hearing his words and working out a plan for the others. He leaned back a little, shoving the container of food at her.

"Eat something," he told her. Scarlett rolled her eyes.

"Really, Spence?"

"You probably haven't eaten anything in the past two days, please, just eat something, for me. You need your strength…"

"Did you eat?" she asked.

When he only nodded and looked away, she scowled.

"Liar," she called him with no real malice. She nudged him. "You eat, I'll eat…"

She glanced at the watch around his wrist. "We've got less than an hour before go time…"

Spencer nodded, chewing some of the food and handing her some more as she told him about Kathy and they planned the best way to make their next moves. Scarlett balked when she heard that Cyrus had told him he could leave.

"You should have gone," she pouted.

"No! I won't leave you!" he stated hotly. "Besides, I am in a position to hold off some of the diehards from reacting, giving the teams a better chance of getting everyone out safely. You asked me to trust you to do your job, Scarlett," he reminded her. "Now you have to let me do mine…" he reached over slowly, lightly touching her bruised cheek.

"Please," he asked her.

Scarlett nodded, swallowing hard. She knew he was right, but couldn't help but wish him a million miles away from here. She met his eyes, holding them, letting him see her worry and her love…

"I can't stay much longer…" he told her, running his hand over her hair. "But…" he stopped hearing someone in the hall.

Scarlett heard the footsteps also, moving quickly away from his touch and shoving her hands behind her back as if still tied. Kathy came into the room in a hurry.

"You were right, you are right," she was saying in a rush and stopped dead as she saw Reid, afraid he would run back to Cyrus. She'd seen that this man had rarely left Cyrus's side since this began and Cyrus that treated him like a new favorite toy. She didn't want to get Scarlett in any more trouble with Cyrus, or herself for that matter.

Kathy backed up towards the door…

Scarlett stood easy, moving to the woman. "It's okay, he's with me Kathy… you can trust him. What did you see?"

"Uh… they are wiring up the rooms with explosives. I told Jessie and some of the others that Cyrus wants us back down in the tunnels and that he would meet us there… We have to hurry…" she told Scarlett, tugging on her arm.

"Okay, okay…" Scarlett looked over at Reid, her heart in her eyes.

"I'll stall Cyrus. Get everyone out as fast as you can. If we are lucky, he won't notice until after the team hits the compound…" he told her. He reached to touch her, thought better of it and backed up. He turned to leave the room.

"Spence!" Scarlett cried out, unable to let him walk away. When he turned around, she flew into his arms, wrapping hers around his neck.

Spencer shuddered, holding her close and burying his face in her neck. He pulled back just as quickly as she did, knowing they had no time to waste.

"I love you, Scarlett," he told her, pressing his lips to hers quickly.

"I love you, Spencer," she said at the same time.

He squeezed her hands and left the room.

Kathy watched Scarlett then looked out at Reid's back ahead of them.

"He, uh, he's FBI, too?" she asked Scarlett. "Like you? I thought that he was…"

"Yeah, I know… he's just a better agent… and my husband…" she said to Kathy with pride in her voice, as she watched him move down the stairs.

Reid didn't hear her comment as he hurried back to Cyrus's side. Taking the stairs two at a time, he let his gaze wander, noting each spot where they had put a charge. It seemed like they were almost done with the wiring already, which wouldn't buy him any time. Even if he removed some of the wires, there were so many other charges already placed through the compound it wouldn't make enough of a difference...

He had to stay with Cyrus and delay him directly. A quick look at his watch before he entered the main hall told him that they were down to minutes now. He closed his fingers around the other watch in his pocket, grasping it tightly, praying for Scarlett to be safe.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Inside the tent at the command center, Hotch was talking quietly to Rossi.

"I know I can't go in there," he said.

"I'm going," Rossi told him. Hotch nodded meeting his friend's eyes.

"If something happens to Scarlett or Reid…" he left the rest of his statement unspoken, shaking his head in misery.

"You're not alone…" Dave told him, feeling the same torment. They both looked out over the compound as the men began to move inside for the raid.

Reid stood in the main hall, watching the men finish laying the explosives. He saw Cole come into the room, heading directly to Cyrus.

"Something is wrong," the man said.

Cyrus watched through the window, seeing that military vehicles were now pulling in front of the compound. He scowled darkly.

Spencer let out his breath, once realizing Cole hadn't been talking about the fact that the women and children were missing. By now, Scarlett should have the majority of them in the underground tunnel. He hoped she'd made it outside herself already.

"They lied…" he looked at Christopher.

"Should we do this now?" the second asked.

"No. Let them get closer…" he told his men, moving over to pick up an automatic rifle. He opened the front door, heading outside.

"Cyrus, what are you doing?" Cole shouted.

"Making sure the press is watching," he told them firing the rifle into the air several times. "They are going to want to see this. This is it," he said, looking at the detonator in his hand. "The moment of faith…"

He fired again.

Spencer winced at the sound, hoping Scarlett didn't hear it and panic for his safety.

 _Keep going_... he thought to her over and over in his head, wishing for telepathy…

"Keep going!" Scarlett was telling the people she was herding through the halls and into tunnel towards the outside. She heard the repeat of the AR at the front of the main entrance.

 _Distraction_ … _attention_ … her mind thought through all of the reasons someone could be firing, refusing to think of Spencer being in danger.

"Keep going," she said forcefully over the panic that sounded around her. "Protect your children, stay low and get out!"

Cole moved around the front room after hearing some small explosions off in one of the rooms.

"That came from inside the building!" he told Cyrus.

"Check the fuses," Cyrus ordered some of the men. "GO!"

Cole moved to stand beside the door, opposite Cyrus. Spencer moved behind him, out of the way.

Scarlett felt a wave of relief when she reached the tunnel entrance and saw the military uniforms. The team had made it inside and were now taking over the removal of the women and children. She leaned back against the wall, catching her breath a moment, ready to go back inside for Spencer.

"Scarlett! Scarlett!" she heard Morgan's voice behind her and stifled a cry.

"You alright?" Derek grabbed her close for a moment, hugging her to his chest.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, D- the building is wired to blow! I've got to get Reid…" she felt panic welling up in her heart. "He's still with Cyrus, first floor at the main entrance," she cried, knowing he was so close to the danger.

"I'll get him," Morgan promised. "I got this, go with the others…"

"No!" she sobbed, starting to choke on her emotions, "I won't leave him!"

Just then, Jessica came through the tunnel doors with Kathy and saw the uniformed men and FBI flak jackets. She turned on her mother.

"You lied! Cyrus didn't call us here! You lied!" she screamed.

"Cyrus lied to you! This building is going to blow up!" Kathy shouted.

"No," Jessie screamed again. "I can't- I can't leave- he's my husband," she shrieked turning back to the stairs and running back up to the first floor…

Derek grabbed Kathy, pulling her back.

"Jessie!" the woman screamed her daughter's name.

Morgan shoved her into Scarlett's arms to hold. "Get her out of here, I'll get the girl, Rossi, get them out of here!" he ordered.

Scarlett watched him run after Jessie as she dragged the screaming Kathy outside alongside Dave.

Spencer tried reasoning with the two men in the room with him.

"Jeremiah 29:11- 'I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you… Plans to bring you hope and a bright future'…" Reid told Cole.

"Is blowing yourself up part of the bright future that God wants?" he asked, seeing Cyrus now shoulder his weapon, moving to stand before Reid.

Spencer stood his ground, eyeing Cyrus up levelly, no longer playing weak.

"You think you know the word of God better than I?" he challenged Reid.

Spencer maintained eye contact, not looking away.

"No, I am just demonstrating how you can use the Bible to manipulate just about anything," Reid responded coldly. Cyrus's eyes flashed angrily.

"Matthew 10:24- Do not suppose that I have come to earth to bring peace, I did not come to bring peace, but a sword!" he growled out, throwing the butt of his rifle into Spencer's stomach, knocking him back into the wall.

"You cannot convert my brothers!" Cyrus yelled at him, raising the weapon to hit him again.

Reid tensed, prepared for the next blow that Cyrus hit him with but losing his air. He doubled over, waiting for Cyrus to lower the gun so he could fight back, but Cyrus pulled out the detonator instead, arming it.

 _Shit_ … Reid calculated how he could remove the device from him and checked for a deadman's switch. He felt a small relief when he didn't see one…

"Nobody had to follow," Cyrus told Reid with a malicious grin. "God could have stopped me…"

Spencer saw a military officer move into the room and ducked back against the wall. The rifle shots took out Cole on the other side of the room.

Morgan followed right behind, his own weapon drawn and aimed at Cyrus, hitting the man in the chest three times, killing him on the spot.

Cyrus's face contorted and he fell where he stood, the detonator landing alongside his dead body, now useless.

"He just did…" Spencer said as he looked down at Cyrus.

"You okay kid?" Morgan looked Reid over as he saw him holding his ribs.

"I'm fine- Where is Scarlett?! We've got to get out of here!" he told his brother.

"We got her; she's outside with Rossi…"

Spencer felt relief wash over him, and then saw Jessie as she moved into the room.

In a heartbeat, he saw the look on her face as she saw Cyrus lying dead on the floor. The young girl moved over towards the body...

"Sweetheart, come on, we've got to get out of here," Morgan told her, not realizing the gravity of the situation or that the girl had full blown Stockholm Syndrome.

But Reid did. He saw Jessie move to pick up the detonator…

" _RUN_!" he screamed at Derek, grabbing his brother by the arm and pulling him through the room, away from where he remembered each of the charges were set. They ran towards a side entrance out of the chapel and could feel the chain reaction of the blasts following them.

Derek hit the doors, dragging Spencer out with him, just clearing them as another charge went off behind them.

They hit the pavement outside together. Morgan pulled Reid back up as they continued to move to the front steps.

Scarlett felt the explosion rock her to her core as the ground shook under its intensity. She looked back towards the main doors, running to the steps.

"REID! MORGAN!" she screamed, fear for their lives ripping her apart. When she hit the bottom stairs, she looked up at the doors…

"Reid… Morgan…" a sob choked her throat as she saw the smoke curl over the entrance…

Then she saw movement through the thick black.

"We're okay!" she heard Morgan's voice call over the chaos.

"Oh, God… oh God…" she cried out desperately, joy filling her heart as she saw the two of them leaning on each other as they headed down the stairs.

"You are alive, you're okay," she cried, dragging herself up the stairs in shock to meet them.

Spencer shoved his hair out of his face, coughing heavily, as was Derek.

Scarlett grabbed Reid, wrapping her arms around his neck, holding him close.

"Thank God," she sobbed against his throat. "Thank you, God…" she reached over to Morgan, pulling him into her hug also.

Derek wrapped his arms around the both of them, squeezing them together quickly before moving back and letting them stand alone. He pulled out his phone to call Garcia.

"They are safe," was all he said and he heard Penelope begin to cry in relief. "They're safe… we are all safe," he reassured her.

"What about Jessie?" Rossi asked, looking over at Kathy standing at the edge of the scene. Morgan shook his head negatively. Rossi sighed and headed down the stairs to speak with the mother.

Scarlett continued to hold Spencer, kissing his neck and his face, running her hands through his hair, reassuring herself he was okay.

"Scarlett," he whispered softly against her ear. "We have company, darling…" he told her gently.

She stopped kissing him, but pressed herself closer against his chest, shaking violently as she continued to sob... Reid held her tightly, kissing her hair, trying to calm her as she began to hyperventilate.

Screw protocol…

He swept her up in his arms, keeping her tucked against his chest as he carried her past the team heading over towards the medics. He took her lips under his, breathing softly against her mouth to even her breathing.

Setting her down on the gurney, he stayed right beside her as the medics checked her over. Scarlett clung onto his arm tightly.

"She's in shock," he told the medics as they checked her blood pressure. He saw Hotch come towards them as he continued speaking to them.

"She has two broken ribs, a broken cheekbone, open cuts on her arms and chest, several contusions over her back, and I think she may have a concussion…" he ran down the list in his head that he'd taken earlier. He caught Hotch's eyes as he said the next part.

"And she's possibly pregnant…"

He saw the look that crossed the supervisor's face as he stepped up to the medics.

"I want her taken to the hospital now," Hotch told them. "I want a full evaluation, and her husband, Dr. Reid doesn't leave her side," he stated, his authoritative tone taking no argument.

Spencer nodded. "Thank you…" he said.

"We will be right behind you," Aaron told him, clasping his hand to Spencer's shoulder.

"She will be alright," he said holding his friend's gaze. Reid nodded, swallowing the tightness in his throat.

"Let's move," one of the medics ordered, lifting the gurney into the ambulance. Spencer stayed at her side, holding her hand as they headed to the hospital.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Spencer still held Scarlett's hand as he sat beside her bed in the hospital. He linked his fingers through hers, squeezing them when the doctor entered the room. She sat up straighter in the bed.

"Can I leave yet, please?" she asked before the man even had a chance to introduce himself.

"Katy," Spencer admonished her. "Behave…"

Scarlett turned to meet his gaze and stuck her tongue out at him playfully, feeling much better after the fluids had been administered and resting. Between that and having Reid beside her for the past hour, it helped her to reclaim her calm, she was certain that she was going to be released.

The doctor chuckled, offering his hand to Reid. "I'm Dr. Davidson, Dr. Reid… I ran into your wife's brother out in the hall with the other agents," he grinned lightly, looking him in the eye. "He already informed me she doesn't like hospitals…"

The doctor pulled some information up on his tablet, checking over the results of the tests that had been run on his patient. When Scarlett bit at her fingers nervously, Spencer stilled her by covering them with his own. She looked down at his hopping leg, and then met his eyes. He stopped it and gave her a sheepish grin.

"Everything looks to be back in the normal levels… much better than when you first arrived, Mrs. Reid. One of your ribs is cracked and the other badly bruised, but they aren't broken. The concussion is only slight…" he mentioned, scanning some more information.

"You were severely dehydrated which added to the shock," he warned her. "I want you to continue to watch your electrolytes for the next few days…"

"I will, I promise…" Scarlett said agreeably, lifting her hand indicating for him to remove the IV…

Dr. Davidson smiled. "I think we can approve your release," he told her. Scarlett grinned victoriously at Reid.

"It's not uncommon to become dehydrated during pregnancy, so I would suggest you keep increasing your liquid intake as it progresses…" he said.

"I will, I promise…" she repeated, just wanting this over with. "I just want to go ho…"

Her face froze in shock. Spencer bit the inside of his lips together to keep himself from laughing as his woman… who remembered every word of every conversation that she'd ever had in her life, completely forgot everything else that the doctor had just said.

Her brain froze on that one word…

Scarlett then asked a question that she had never before asked in her life.

"Spencer… wh-what did he just say?" she stammered, her face going white as the sheets behind her.

"Um… Scarlett," Reid rubbed her hand lightly with his. "Breathe sweetheart…"

She dragged in a whooping breath, trying to repeat the process as her lungs refused to cooperate.

Spencer moved into her line of view, keeping his hazel gaze locked to her green one.

"Again, Katy…" he reminded her, looking up at the doctor's chuckle.

"Am I safe in assuming this comes as a surprise?" he asked the couple.

Scarlett glared at the doctor.

Reid shook his head slightly. "I suspected…"

Scarlett's glare turned on him… "You _suspected_?!" her voice pitched strangely as she squeaked at him. "And you didn't think to clue _me_ in, _Reid_?!"

 _Uh-oh_ … Spencer swallowed hard.

The doctor took a step back, suddenly intent on something on his tablet…

Reid rubbed at his neck nervously, avoiding her eyes.

Scarlett's eyes rounded hugely. She placed her hands protectively over her stomach.

"Oh. My. God."

"How?!" she breathed out slowly. She saw Spencer raise his brows at her…

"Oh, you _know_ what I mean!" she snarked, giving him a look. "I know _how_ , but 'how'? I'm on the depo shots- I haven't missed one… since…" she met Spencer's eyes. "Well, since a long time ago…"

"Even the most effective birth control only has a 99% rating…" Dr. Davidson stated.

"But… but…" she shook her head.

The doctor took another step back. "I'm going to give you two a few minutes to absorb this information…" he said gently. "I'll be back in a little bit…"

When Scarlett only nodded, without even asking about being released again, Reid worried she might be going back into shock…

"Katy?" he said her name gently when she continued to sit with her hands pressed against her stomach, staring straight ahead. He swallowed hard.

"Oh my God," she whispered again.

"Scarlett, you are starting to scare me…"

She heard the genuine concern in his voice and sat straighter in the bed.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice sounding small…

"Scarlett…" Reid looked into her eyes and saw her shake.

"Sorry for what?" he asked gently, moving closer.

She shook her head.

"Too much… just… it's out of control…" she said, looking away from him.

Spencer moved back into her line of sight.

"Scarlett…" he made his voice sound sterner. "Stay with me…" he warned her. "Listen to my voice…"

Scarlett heard him through the roaring in her ears and swallowed hard. She nodded, keeping her eyes locked on his…

"What's too much," he asked. Scarlett started twisting the sheets in her hand. He saw her lips begin repeating number sequences, and he gave her a tiny shake.

"Scarlett… stay with me…" he said again, his voice lowering. She tipped her head towards the sound.

"You are mad…" she squeaked.

Reid looked shocked at that. "Mad? No…"

"But I- I didn't… I wasn't careful…"

Spencer touched her cheek gently. "What do you mean?"

She met his eyes again. "What if I hurt the baby?" she asked, fear bright in her eyes. "I didn't know… and then I was drinking, back in Chicago, that time with Cooper, what if I was pregnant then? And I was working out, what if it was too much… and I haven't been eating right… and… What if I did something wrong? What if I do something wrong? What if I can't do this… or… or…"

Her breathing became shallow again.

"Scarlett. Look at me…."

When she looked away, he took her chin in his hands.

" _Look_ at me…"

Spencer waited for her to finally look into his eyes again. The panic attack was clearly evident in them.

"We are having a baby…" he stated calmly, waiting for that to sink in.

He saw her eyes begin to fill with tears.

"Are those sad tears or happy tears, crazy girl," he asked gently. She looked confused for a moment then sucked in a deep breath.

"H-Happy tears… _Scared_ tears…" she told him on a sniffle.

He felt relieved at her words. "We can deal with scared, right?" he asked, pulling out his handkerchief and wiping her cheeks.

Scarlett stared at him a moment, watching him.

"Right," she breathed out. "We can…" she moved her hands to his wrists, grasping them tightly between her fingers.

He watched her face change as fear moved away, slowly replaced with wonder.

"Oh…" she looked down at her stomach. She threw the sheets back and lifted her top, meeting his eyes again, as it hit her…

"There's a baby _you_ in there!" she said in amazement, her face splitting in a huge grin.

Spencer watched her eyes, shaking his head slightly as he placed his hand over her belly.

"There's a baby _us_ in there…" he corrected her, as his own smile spreading across his face.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Morgan snapped his head up when he heard Scarlett let out a squeal. He met JJ's surprised look and moved into the door of the hospital room just in time to see Scarlett leaping from the bed onto Reid's lap, where he sat at her bedside.

"Watch, crazy girl!" Reid laughed loudly, catching her and grabbing at the IV tubing at the same time. "You're still wired up there!"

Derek eyed them up suspiciously. "What the…?"

Scarlett interrupted him-

"We are pregnant!" she squealed again, grabbing Spencer around the neck and squeezing him tightly.

"What?" Derek looked from her to Reid. When Spencer nodded, his eyes widened.

"You're making me an uncle…again, already?" he grinned, moving closer to hug Scarlett. When she wrapped her arms around his waist, he pressed a kiss to her hair.

"Yep!" she looked over at JJ. "I am scared spitless…" she told her friend honestly.

JJ smiled. "Welcome to motherhood…" she teased, moving over to hug them both also.

Rossi stopped in the doorway with Hotch, knocking on the door. "Is there a party going on or something?"

Aaron looked at Reid, catching his eyes. Spencer nodded, looking up at Scarlett.

"We're having a baby," he confirmed to their supervisors.

"Congratulations," Hotch grinned.

Rossi smiled. "Mazel tov," he told them, reaching over to take their hands and give them a squeeze.

"I have no idea where to start," Scarlett shook her head, meeting Reid's eyes. He could see the worry moving back into them as she bit her lip.

"I think we start by asking the doctor some questions," he reminded her, kissing her mouth lightly.

"Right…" she breathed out the word. Her face changed again, just as quickly when she thought of something else…

"I've got to call Mama… and Norie…" she looked at Derek. "Penny too…"

Reid brushed her hair back over her ear. "Call Garcia. Call your mom but ask her to come with Norie for a visit when she comes next week for break. Then you can tell them together, in person," he suggested.

Scarlett nodded, looking at the doors when the doctor knocked lightly.

"Am I interrupting?" he asked with a smile, seeing the room was now full of agents.

"We were just leaving," Rossi smiled, patting Reid's shoulder lightly.

Hotch nodded at the couple also. "We'll be ready to leave as soon as you are cleared to fly," he told Scarlett as he followed Dave from the room.

JJ gave them both a hug and backed out the door herself. "Talk to you two later," she said, pushing Morgan out the door with her.

"I'm going, I'm going," Derek grinned, looking back over his shoulder. "Call Baby Girl soon, or I'll never hear the end of it," he reminded them.

"Will do, D," Scarlett said, turning her attention back to the doctor with a thousand questions on her mind.

"Where do I even start?" she asked the doctor.

"The bloodwork confirmed that you are pregnant," he told them. "Considering what you have just been through, I would suggest an ultrasound. I can have one set up immediately…"

Scarlett grabbed Spencer's hands and squeezed them tightly. She swallowed against the lump in her throat and could only nod. Reid held her, speaking for her.

"I think that would relieve some of the worry, Dr. Davidson, thank you," he stated.

The older man smiled at them. "I'm happy to ease any of the stress… I'll have it ordered right away. I do need to have some information…" he mentioned.

Scarlett nodded again, staying close to Spencer, feeling frightened.

"We need to try to establish how far along you are… when was your last menstrual cycle?" he asked.

"I- uh, over two months ago," she squeaked out. "I thought the shots were messing up my cycles… How could I be so stupid?" she criticized herself and Reid nudged her slightly. She met his eyes and he frowned at her slightly.

 _Stop_ _that_ , he mouthed the words to her, his eyes narrowing at hers for putting herself down like that.

"You suspected," she said, her eyes locked to his. "You've been thinking about it- how far along…" she asked Spencer.

He bit his lips together, looking from Scarlett to the doctor, hoping he wasn't going to catch hell from her for not saying anything earlier…

"I couldn't be sure… I was thinking that same thing you were, mostly…" he qualified his answer…

"Reid…" Scarlett let out an exasperated sigh.

"Nine weeks, approximately…" he rushed out, looking at the doctor. "I started considering it only last month though…" he told her. "But I wasn't sure…"

Scarlett squeezed his hand. "You should have said something to me," she scowled.

Spencer nodded nervously, giving her a sheepish look.

The doctor cleared his throat, bringing their attention back to him. "I put you on the schedule for the ultrasound. We will start with that first… but it's not unusual at only eight to ten weeks for it to be more difficult to read. If the tech can't hear the heartbeat that way, don't panic," he directed his words to Scarlett on that. "We will just do an internal ultrasound instead…"

Scarlett watched the kind eyes and nodded as she swallowed hard. The doctor smiled at her.

"I'll have the tech come in shortly," he told them, shaking each of their hands and leaving the room.

"Heartbeat…" Scarlett said in awe, her mind stuck on that one simple word…

"Uh, yeah…" Spencer set his chin against her head, his own thoughts locked there too…

Neither one of them said anything as they waited. They didn't need words to express how nervous either of them felt at the moment.

When the technician entered the room, Scarlett moved back into the bed, listening to the young woman explain what they were doing. Spencer moved the chair closer to the bedside, taking Scarlett's hand in his and felt her tremble.

"It's okay, crazy girl…" he told her on a whisper, as the images came on the screen.

Scarlett held her breath as the tech ran the wand over her abdomen. Her own heart felt like it was slamming in her ribs as she watched between the screen, the tech's face and then Reid's. She saw the look on his face change as he saw something on the screen and looked back just as the tech started clicking on the images.

"Here you are," the young woman grinned at them, locking in a picture. She turned up the audio and Scarlett squeezed Spencer's hands tightly.

"It looks like smudge," she said in awe.

The sound they heard was like that of a tiny bird beating its wings rapidly while in flight. Spencer moved closer to Scarlett's side, moving an arm around her shoulders.

"That's the heartbeat… uh, our baby's heartbeat," he said in wonder, his eyes locked to the screen.

"Yes, that's it. Nice and strong…" she smiled at them.

Scarlett looked up at Reid's face, almost as thrilled with his reaction as with the sound itself. The love and wonder that were in his eyes scored themselves into her memories. His eyes tracked back and forth quickly, scanning the screen, memorizing each second, each line on it, even as her ears locked in each sound…

Joy wrapped around her like hug and she laid her head against his shoulder, still watching between his face and the screen.

The technician printed off a small picture for them, handing it to Scarlett. "I'll get these images right over to your doctor and he'll be back in to speak to you," she smiled, wiping off the gel as she packed up her tools. Scarlett rubbed the towel across her stomach, looking down at herself hard. She felt Spencer's hands move to take the cloth, and he wiped at some of the gel, trailing his fingers carefully over her belly.

"Holy shit, Spence…" she breathed out quietly when the tech left the room.

"Yeah…" he met her eyes, swallowing nervously, his eyes not leaving hers. A grin moved onto his face as she grabbed his shoulders, pulling him against her. He hugged her tightly, pressing his face into her hair and breathing in her scent.

"Holy shit, Katy…" he agreed, closing his eyes and holding Scarlett close.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Later that afternoon, the team were together once again, gathered in the jet, heading home. Spencer sat in the back, pretending to read while he actually listened to Scarlett in the next row talking to JJ about the pregnancy. Even after she'd grilled the doctor with questions before they left the hospital, she'd still had more to ask her friend, wanting to know answers to just about everything. He heard JJ laugh at one comment Scarlett made that he hadn't caught.

"Get used to that feeling," JJ had responded. "That'll follow you around the rest of your life…"

Spencer felt his stomach flip. He wasn't opposed to make long range plans, but hearing 'the rest of your life' sort of gave him a jolt… He took a steadying breath and looked back down at the pages of his book again, trying to refocus on the words that blurred in his vision.

"Hey…" Scarlett moved to the opposite seat from him, catching his gaze. She saw something cross his eyes and leaned forward, giving him a slight smile.

"Hey," he responded, shifting his eyes back to the book. Scarlett tilted her head slightly, wondering about the avoidance. She leaned forward, taking his hands in her, pushing the book down from his hands.

"You aren't reading," she nudged him under the table with her knees. "I saw your eyes, Spence…" she told him.

When he only shrugged a bit, still keeping his eyes from hers, she gave his hands a squeeze.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Reid looked back up at her, nodding once but she saw the concern in his eyes.

"Talk to me, farm boy," she said quietly, pushing the tray table out of the way so she could lean forward towards him and dropped her hands to his knees, giving them a quick rub. He moved his long legs around hers, trapping her inside them. His thighs bumped against her knees as he leaned towards her.

"Come on…" she gave him a little poke, bringing his eyes back to hers again.

"I, just…" he huffed out a breath, trying to think of the words about what was running through his mind. He scowled slightly, looking down at her hands, twisting her fingers in his. His thumbs brushed against the spot where her rings should be…

"I didn't protect you, back there… At the ranch. I wasn't able to keep you safe… or the baby…" he told her, still looking at her hands instead of her face. He took a deep breath, squeezing her fingers as he lifted his eyes to meet hers.

Scarlett saw the self-recrimination in them then. She bit her lips together, shaking her head at him.

"No, Spencer… that's not true. You did. You did your job, just like I did mine…" she told him. She saw his eyes dart to the bruises still on her face and she tugged on his hands.

"What happened- what Cyrus did to me, wasn't your fault, Reid…"

"I shouldn't have let him take you…" his voice broke slightly on the words.

"You didn't have a choice. If you would've done anything differently, it would have blown your cover, and Cyrus would have killed us both. You know that!" she said a bit more forcefully, tugging at his hands, pulling him a bit closer to her.

Reid scowled again, the frown causing lines to form between his brows. Scarlett leaned forward, pressing her lips quickly to the furrows.

He looked up; his eyes darting quickly to make sure none of the others were watching them and kissed her lips.

"Spencer," she spoke his name gently. "You aren't going to be able to protect me every second of every day…" she reminded him gently. "I won't be kept in a bubble…" she warned him.

Reid closed his eyes, pulling back a little and scrubbed at his face. "A bubble is a little lighter than what I was considering…" he admitted.

Scarlett gave him a small grin. "Ah, so you were thinking maybe locking me away into a high tower then my sweet prince?" she asked, rubbing his leg.

"Something like that," he groused, still scowling. "You wouldn't maybe consider…"

"What?" she arched a brow at him.

"Forget it…" he looked away again.

Scarlett sighed. "Reid… talk to me…" she pushed him to say what he was thinking.

"Just… I don't know… maybe changing jobs…" he said quietly, hoping she didn't explode over the suggestion.

Scarlett pulled back a little. "You would want me to leave the team?" she asked him, just as quietly.

"No… yes… I don't know," he met her eyes again, and she saw the fear there…

"Hmm. And you would leave too?" she raised a brow again. She saw the answer in his frown.

"Sorry, babe. It doesn't work like that…" she warned him.

"Fine…" his quick response brought her head up. "I'll teach…" he told her, holding her eyes.

"Spencer…" she sighed. "You'd go nuts. _I'd_ go nuts…" she frowned at the look that crossed his face.

"I could adjust," he told her. "If it meant you'd be safe… that the baby would be safe? I'd adjust…"

Scarlett leaned back, studying him. He would, she knew. He'd changed everything about himself, right down to the core, if he had to, as long as it meant he could protect them.

But could she?

"Norie could stay, with us… I could get a position at the university… with her advanced abilities, she could push through high school and start taking classes here," he started rushing out words, the ideas that hadn't fully formed before, now coming out all at once without thinking.

"We can start looking for a house, with a yard… and if I pushed some of my contacts I could probably even get something started for the fall, for both of Norie and me… and then when the baby comes at the end of November, we'd be settled in…"

Scarlett watched as he pushed out all these ideas at her, a stunned look on her face. She listened to what he said, letting him get it out…

When he finished, he looked into her eyes, seeing a guarded look on her face and swallowed deeply. He bit his lips together tightly to stop from talking. He watched her closely, reaching out for her hands.

"What, uh- what would you think…?" he asked nervously.

Scarlett thought about everything he'd just laid out. The normalcy of it… the way the whole thing sounded like a perfect picture of a suburban life… and how his voice sounded as he talked about it…

Scarlett closed her eyes, shuttering her emotions tightly behind a wall before she opened them again.

Reid felt a twist in his heart when she looked into his eyes. He couldn't read a thing in them…

"Where exactly do you think I fit in any of that?" she asked him quietly, her words neither harsh nor hopeful. He heard her tone as flat, and it worried him.

"Scarlett… you could do anything, whatever you wanted," he told her, watching her eyes carefully.

Scarlett saw in her mind's eye her trying to fit into PTA meetings and as a sweet suburban housewife. Instead she imagined censure in people's eyes as they talked about her behind her back…

How she couldn't fit in- How she wasn't 'normal'… too rough around the edges, too mouthy, too _damaged_ …

The pain stole her breath.

She tilted her head slightly, giving him a soft smile from behind the mask as she looked at him.

"No, Reid. I can't…" she said, shaking her head sadly. "I'd go crazy inside of a month…" she shrugged, refusing to admit the other thoughts to him. "You could… I can see that. You could adjust, moving into the private sector, all of that… you would fit. God knows Norie'd fit, too," she smiled, thinking of how the little girl had made so many adjustments already in her short life.

"But I wouldn't…" she closed her eyes again, trying to push the fear she felt in her heart away.

"Scarlett…" his voice sounded strained. "It was just a thought…" he told her, noticing how she'd pulled back from him.

"I know," she said simply. The pilot announced they were coming in for a landing and she buckled her seat belt, avoiding the look in his eyes.

"Katy…" she heard the plea in his voice and misunderstood it. She thought he wanted her to consider it further…

"Later, Spencer… we'll talk more, at home," she said softly.

Spencer became frightened when she did something she'd never done to him ever before. Scarlett shifted away from him, plugging her earbuds in, closing her eyes and shutting him out…

He struggled with himself to not cause a scene… he couldn't start arguing with her while the entire team was around, so he forced himself to let her back away, for the moment.

He tried to watch her lips to see which lyrics she repeated in her head, but they remained still. He rubbed the heel of his hand over his heart, trying to work away the ache that settled there…


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Spencer kept his silence the entire way home. Scarlett noticed his leg bouncing nervously while he sat in the passenger seat as Morgan drove them to their building.

"Okay, D. thanks," Scarlett leaned over the seat and kissed her brother's cheek. "Tell Penny I'll give her a call tomorrow to talk… I'm just tired- I feel like I can sleep for a week," she gave him a soft smile.

Spencer picked his head up at that, looking over at her. She saw the concern on his face, and closing her eyes, turned away. Scarlett let herself out of the car, not waiting for him to get the door for her.

Derek had noticed how unusually quiet his sister was during the ride home, and would have been willing to chalk it up to her being tired, as she had said, except for that last move. Especially once he saw the hurt look that crossed Reid's face.

Spencer watched as Scarlett hurried into the building.

"You know what's going on with her?" Morgan asked.

Reid shook his head. "No, but I'm going to find out," he told his brother, leaving the SUV to follow Scarlett.

Derek waited to see the apartment lights come on before he pulled away from the curb.

Scarlett looked out the window, watching as her brother left. The door open behind her, and she heard Reid toss his keys onto the hallway table.

"Katy…"

"I'm too tired to talk right now, Spencer…" she called the excuse over her shoulder as she turned from the window and headed into the bedroom.

"Scarlett…" he followed her through the door, catching only a glimpse her back as she went into the bathroom without answering him.

"Fuck," he swore, loudly enough for her to hear.

Frustrated, he stalked through the bedroom, running his hands through his hair. He sat on the edge of the bed, leaning forward, scrubbing at his face. He thought she was pissed. He thought he knew why… she'd gotten upset after he'd suggested leaving the team…

If she didn't want to leave the job, and that was fine with him! He hadn't wanted to either, really… But he _did_ want her to talk to him… to not shut him out- which was what she was currently doing…

He scrubbed his face again, still waiting for her to come out…

She was going to talk to him, damn it!

Spencer lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, trying to think his way through how to get her to do just that.

"Katy… Will you please come out here and talk to me like an adult, please!?" he yelled towards the closed door.

When she didn't respond, he stood back up, and began pacing. He looked around the room as he crossed the floor and noticed her phone sitting on the end table.

He threw a quick glance at the bathroom door. When he heard the water still running, Spencer decided to flip open her music, just to hear what she'd been listening to so he could judge her mood…

His heart froze in his chest when he saw the title.

Without another thought, he picked up a remote, quickly turning on the speakers, and played the song out loud so he could hear the lyrics.

Scarlett opened the door when she'd heard the music begin and the song 'Goodbye Lover' by James Blunt played over the surround sound. She eyed up Reid's back suspiciously as he held her phone.

Spencer turned to face her as his body trembled with nervous tension.

 _Did I disappoint you or let you down?_

 _Should I be feeling guilty or let the judges frown?_

 _'Cause I saw the end before we'd begun,_

 _Yes I saw you were blinded and I knew I had won._

 _So I took what's mine by eternal right._

 _Took your soul out into the night._

"You'd leave me?" he asked her, his voice going weak as he heard the lyrics.

 _It may be over but it won't stop there,_

 _I am here for you if you'd only care._

 _You touched my heart you touched my soul._

 _You changed my life and all my goals._

 _And love is blind and that I knew when,_

 _My heart was blinded by you._

 _I've kissed your lips and held your hand._

 _Shared your dreams and shared your bed._

 _I know you well, I know your smell._

 _I've been addicted to you._

"No," she said quietly. "But you'll leave me…" she said, taking her phone from him. She set it down with the remote, turning her back to him.

 _Goodbye my lover._

 _Goodbye my friend._

 _You have been the one._

 _You have been the one for me._

Spencer let out his breath, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"No… You are wrong…" he shook his head vehemently with the denial.

 _I am a dreamer and when I wake,_

 _You can't break my spirit - it's my dreams you take._

 _And as you move on, remember me,_

 _Remember us and all we used to be_

 _I've seen you cry, I've seen you smile._

 _I've watched you sleeping for a while._

 _I'd be the father of your child._

 _I'd spend a lifetime with you._

 _I know your fears and you know mine._

 _We've had our doubts but now we're fine,_

 _And I love you, I swear that's true._

 _I cannot live without you._

 _Goodbye my lover._

 _Goodbye my friend._

 _You have been the one._

 _You have been the one for me._

 _And I still hold your hand in mine._

 _In mine when I'm asleep._

 _And I will bare my soul in time,_

 _When I'm kneeling at your feet._

When she only shrugged slightly, trying to avoid him, he grabbed her arm and spun her back.

"No- that's you, Scarlett… that's _you_ putting words in my mouth… _your_ own thoughts…" he shook her slightly, making her look up at him.

 _Goodbye my lover._

 _Goodbye my friend._

 _You have been the one._

 _You have been the one for me._

 _I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow._

 _I'm so, I'm so, I'm so hollow._

 _I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow._

 _I'm so, I'm so, I'm so hollow._

"You don't get to _tell_ me how I feel!" he snapped, the frustration that he was feeling starting to come out in his voice. "Do you really _not_ know me?" he asked incredulously. "You don't _know_ how _I_ feel?"

"I warned you…" she told him, her face still masked. "I told you one day you'd regret us- because I can't fit into your plans…"

"My plans? I don't have any plans, Scarlett- no… please," he begged her to listen to him when she tried to pull away again.

"That… what I was saying before? That was just thoughts, ideas! Not plans!" he heard his breathing start to hitch and rubbed his hand against his heart.

She saw the movement, her own heart hurting at his pain.

"Spencer…" she started to speak but stopped as she watched him move quickly to disconnect her phone from the speakers and then pulled out his own. His hands trembled as he fumbled with the screen.

"Do you want to know how I _really_ feel, Katy? Do you?!" he asked her as he plugged in his own playlist to the speakers. He threw his phone over onto the bed out of her reach.

"Are you ready to hear how _I_ feel about you? Or are you too afraid to listen?" he asked, his voice pitching slightly, as he moved closer to her.

Within the first few seconds of the song, Scarlett recognized it and scowled. She knew the song, but it wasn't in her playlist- she had no idea where he'd ever even heard it…

"No…" she snapped at him, finally dropping the mask.

"No! Spencer… I warned you- No _fucking_ pedestals!" she moved towards him, pushing her finger against his chest, letting anger take over instead of the empty sadness she'd been feeling.

"Tough shit…" Reid told her, his jaw tightening. "I feel what I feel… You don't get to dictate to me how I feel about you…"

"You don't even know…" she shook her head, looking into his eyes. "You don't realize what you are saying," she scowled, refusing to believe the lyrics meant the same to him as they did to her.

"Don't I?" he asked her softly, dropping to his knees before her in submission as the song played around them. Scarlett's eyes rounded in surprise.

'Take me to Church' by Hozier filled her ears and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly, bracing her hands into fists at her side.

She felt him lean closer to her as he knelt before her…

"Spencer… please, don't…" she begged him.

Scarlett opened her eyes to look down on him as he kept his head bowed.

"I don't want this…" she told him. "I never wanted…"

"And I can't help how _I_ _feel_ …" he interrupted her. She heard him begin speaking the words to her his soft voice.

 _My lover's got humor  
She's the giggle at a funeral  
Knows everybody's disapproval  
I should've worshipped her sooner_

 _If the heavens ever did speak  
She's the last true mouthpiece  
Every Sunday's getting more bleak  
A fresh poison each week_

 _"We were born sick," you heard them say it_

 _My church offers no absolutions  
She tells me, "Worship in the bedroom."  
The only heaven I'll be sent to  
Is when I'm alone with you  
_

Scarlett pulled back a bit.

"Reid… please, I don't want _this_..." she said quietly as she angled a look down at his face. He only shook his head, still repeating the lyrics.

 _I was born sick  
But I love it  
Command me to be well  
Aaay. Amen. Amen. Amen._

 __Scarlett watched his face, seeing the plea in his eyes, and sighed deeply. "Spence…" she spoke his name softly…

"Katy, please…" he begged her, his voice cracking. "Just listen…"

 _Take me to church  
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your light  
I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife  
Offer me that deathless death  
Good God, let me give you my life_

When he saw her stiffen, biting her lips together tightly, he lowered his head again.

"Ah, Jesus…" Scarlett blew out a tense breath. "What am I supposed to do with you?" she asked, running her hands lightly over his hair. When he only moved closer to her, still begging, refusing to look up at her, Scarlett sighed.

Reid felt her fingers wrap through his hair and she tugged his head back, forcing him to meet her eyes. He swallowed harshly against the lump in his throat as he listened to the refrain repeat around them.

 _Take me to church  
I'll worship like a dog at the shrine of your light  
I'll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife  
Offer me that deathless death  
Good God, let me give you my life_

"I never wanted your supplication! I only need to be accepted as I am…" she hissed out, as the song played on in the background. "I don't want it…" she said lowly. "I never asked for you to _submit_ to me…" Scarlett bit her lips together tightly.

Spencer kept his eyes locked on hers. "I can't help it, Scarlett! You are everything to me! Don't push me away, please… I'd rather die than be outside of your light!" he cried, his voice started trembling, but he didn't even care. He just couldn't lose her…


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Scarlett sucked in a breath when she saw the tears in his eyes.

"Reid… don't…" she leaned over him, cupping his face in her hands. "Stop, please- Spence, I'm not going anywhere…"

"You're shutting me out… you are already leaving!" he tried to hide his face from her again, embarrassed by the tears.

"No… I just-" she threw her head back, looking up at the ceiling, trying to regain some composure. In that moment, she realized he was right… she was doing just that by trying to protect herself... from him…

Scarlett rubbed at his shoulders, leaning over him.

"Spencer- I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, boy- I wasn't thinking… and I hurt you- I'm sorry!" she said again, taking his chin once more to make him look at her.

"Please…" she begged him. "I didn't mean to hurt you…"

"Don't leave me, Katy…" he asked, his eyes pleading. "Please… I- I can't…"

"Never," she shook her head. "I wouldn't… I swear…"

She saw him search her eyes, looking for the truth and let him see it there.

"I won't leave, Spencer- but I'm so afraid… that I'm dragging you down into my darkness…" she finally told him.

"No, that's not true," Spencer shook his head, his voice choking on a sob. "Don't you know I've seen the dark? It _terrifies_ me… but Katy- you… you are my light! Don't you know enough by now to see that?" he asked her.

He picked up his hand to reach for her, but stopped himself, fisting his hands to his sides instead.

"Spencer…" she spoke his name quietly, reaching for his arm. She wanted him to move out from his subservient position before her. It made her uncomfortable to think he saw himself that way.

"No," he shook his head, pulling away from her hands, refusing to give up his station. "Please, let me talk…" he begged, now looking up into her face.

Scarlett ran her thumbs across his cheeks, wiping away the tears that tracked down them, so brokenhearted that she'd been the one to put them there.

"You say you'll stay… and I want to believe that- I do! But everything, everyone in my life _leaves_ Katy- _everyone_! I have never, in my whole life, had anyone to depend on, or anyone who I could believe would stay! If I think that they care- if I even let myself believe that- then they are gone too…" he choked out slightly. He leaned his cheek against her touch, covering her hand with his. Scarlett felt him tremble.

"Is there something wrong with me? Why does everyone leave? Katy- I need you to stay… I can't do this alone anymore…" he heard a sob break his voice.

 _Shit_ … Spencer swore at himself and shut his mouth tightly, stopping the rambling before anything else could come out. He felt so needy and pathetic- he sat back on his heels, scrubbing at his face roughly.

Scarlett wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him down to sit next to her. He curled into her, setting his head into her lap, letting her hold him while he fought off his tears.

"Shh, it's okay. It's alright, babe. I'm here. I swear I'm not going anywhere. I was just… I was afraid that with everything changing, you'd see how badly I don't fit in…" she whispered. She brushed his hair off of his face, gently stroking his cheek. She saw more tears gather in his eyes before he closed them tightly against them.

"Scarlett- I don't fit in most of the time," he shuddered. "Why would you think I'd see how you didn't when I don't even know how to _try_?!"

"Everything is scaring me right now…" he admitted to her. He felt her wrap her arms around him more tightly, as she ran her fingers through his hair again.

"Scared seems to be the running theme here," she muttered, leaning over and pressing a kiss to his temple.

"I thought we agreed we could do scared?" she asked him, rocking him gently.

Spencer let out a tense laugh at that.

"Obviously, not too well…" he said, embarrassed. He stretched out over on the floor next to her and Scarlett moved down alongside him. They both stared up at the ceiling for a little while, getting lost in their own thoughts.

"Katy," Reid spoke her name softly as he brushed his fingers along her arm, reaching to pull her against his side.

"What, darling?"

"Just- please, do me a favor? When things get scary or bad… don't shut me out, okay? Please talk to me? Because when you shut me out- I don't know what's going on… and all I can think of is that I'm going to end up with another goddamned note…"

Scarlett turned her eyes slightly, hearing his voice catch on that last part.

"I promise, Spencer. Even if it means lying beside you on the floor, staring at the ceiling until four a.m. like now… I'll stay and talk…" she told him. When he only grunted slightly at that, she continued.

"I can't quit my job, Spencer. I- I can't see myself doing anything else. I don't know if it's selfish, or if it makes me a bad mother for not trying…" she felt his arms tighten around her.

"No- Scarlett, please, I understand. I don't want to leave the job, either… my mind was just- running ahead of my mouth, I guess, trying to think of ways to keep you safe. I warned you I would drive you crazy with that…" he said.

She nodded, finishing her thoughts.

"We know what's out there, Spence. Nothing can erase that, we both know that the monsters are real… It's never going to look like a safe world to either of us…"

When he didn't disagree she continued. "I think maybe I was hardwired for this… to see those monsters, because of being raised by one…" she admitted softly. "I'm too broken or damaged to ever see good- and I want to protect others against them…"

"That's not true, Katy," he argued. "You see the good. But you recognize the evil- and you do whatever you can to keep it from hurting anyone else. You aren't damaged. You are a warrior…"

Scarlett pressed her lips together tightly, upset on hearing him describe her that way.

"Spencer, please- I don't want your acquiescence… and it scares me to hear you say things like that to me," she admitted. "Because I feel like I can let you down, so far down, Spencer…"

She felt him shake his head.

"I can't help it, Scarlett. Maybe _I'm_ hardwired that way… I'm not strong," he stopped her when she tried to interrupt. "No, I'm not- not that way, not like you. And I'm not saying you'll always win, or always be stronger… or that you'll even always be right…" he told her. "I'm just saying I know you'll always _try_ … That's what I will always see as a true test of strength, Katy… when someone gets up every day and _tries_ …"

Scarlett sighed, turning over in his arms to look down into his face.

"Why can I believe it when I hear you say it?" she asked him, locking her eyes to his.

"Because I believe it…" he said quietly. "That's how we can make this work, I'll believe in you, when you can't and I know you'll do the same for me… Alright?"

She gave him a brief smile before laying her head back down across his chest.

"Alright…" she agreed.

Spencer listened to her even breathing for a little longer, thinking she'd fallen asleep when she spoke again.

"I'm going to kick Blake's ass the next time I see her," she told him, her voice turning hard when talking about their former team member.

"What?! Why?" he asked, wondering where that had come from… Alex had left the team months ago, not long after Scarlett came to them, wanting to return to her teaching position. He actually figured that it was a precursor that had been decided before Scarlett's arrival; since she'd probably been hired because the supervisors knew Blake was leaving…

"Because she left you a _note_ ," Scarlett ground out, knowing now that it had to have upset him.

"Ah, Jesus, Katy- no… please don't hate Alex… I wasn't talking about her in particular…" although when he allowed himself to think about it, it had hurt a bit to not have been given the chance to say good bye…

He blew out a tense breath. _Abandonment_ _issues_... that's what Morgan had called this... Closing his eyes tightly, he tried to have this conversation with Scarlett, figuring it was long past due.

"What I meant was, just in general… I, uh… I guess it's a part of my own darkness… My dad left a note, when he left my mom and me…" he huffed out a tight breath at the vivid memory, seeing the paper with his father's handwriting on it still in his own small hands.

"And then, when Gideon left… I tracked him down. I was the one who found his note too, that he was leaving- he wrote it _knowing_ it would be me and told me not try to find him…"

Scarlett closed her eyes, hearing the pain in his voice. She knew Gideon's name… she knew his story from the team, and she'd heard it mentioned by Spencer fondly in the past. But now she heard the hurt…

"You thought of him like a father," she assumed correctly.

Reid squirmed uncomfortably beside her. "Yeah… uh, I guess, sort of… I joined the FBI when I was only twenty and managed to get into the BAU by twenty-two, mostly thanks to Gideon…" he shrugged.

"He sort of took me under his wing…"

"Spence," she turned in his arms and brushed her hand gently over his chest as she looked down at him. "You have to know that Dave and even Hotch look out for you like surrogates… and you don't shut them out…"

She watched his face carefully as he took in that information and shrugged again.

"There's nothing wrong with you, boy. People love you, quite dearly…" she said softly, wrapping her arms around him. "There was something wrong with your father- and Gideon… they had their own demons to deal with. It's not on you…"

Reid held her closer, tucking her back against his heart and kissed her hair.

"It scares me to think of what kind of a father I'll be..."

Scarlett nodded, knowing that was in his head. "It scares me what kind of mother I'll be, Spencer…" she reminded him. "I'm not exactly the PTA type that bakes cookies and shit…"

She paused a moment letting her own fears surface, dealing with them.

"So I guess we'll just have to do what everyone else does, and muddle our way through, hoping we don't screw our kids up too much in the process," she told him, listening to his heart beating under her ear.

"I guess," he agreed slowly, wishing for a better option. He swallowed against the tightness in his throat at the thought of failing.

"I love you Katy," he breathed out, running his hand over her hair.

"I love you too, Spencer. And that's the best any parent can have to start…"

She listened to his breathing as it started to regulate and slow under her ear. Scarlett reached up and pulled a pillow and blanket off the bed, laying her head alongside his, watching his face as he drifted off. It occurred to her that he probably hadn't slept at all over the past several days as Spencer's eyes blinked heavily while he watched her.

"Don't leave," he begged her, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm not going anywhere my beautiful boy," she answered, stroking his cheek. She felt his breath stutter as he left it out slowly.

"Sleep now," she pressed her lips to his brow. "I'll be right here…"

"Do you know why I don't sleep?" he asked her, his voice mumbling slightly. His eyes blinked open once again, looking into her eyes.

Scarlett shook her head 'no' as she brushed back his hair and he licked his lips, continuing.

"You said it… when we were watching Norie sleep, remember, Katy?" he sighed, drifting off towards sleep. She watched him as he struggled to stay awake.

"Because, I wonder if I'm dreaming," she told him, repeating the conversation she knew he was remembering. "I'm afraid I'll wake up, and none of this will be real…"

"Yeah," she saw him nod, swallowing at a lump in his throat. "I live that fear every time I close my eyes, crazy girl…" he whispered as he drifted off to sleep. "You are my dream…" he mumbled. "You are my everything…"

Scarlett said nothing, only scooted closer to him and touched her lips softly to his. He whimpered softly in his sleep, moving towards her kiss, exhaling on a sigh.

"Shh, sweet boy… I don't deserve you," she whispered against his mouth softly, taking in the sound he made, letting his scent fill her.

Scarlett watched him sleep, holding him close while lying in the middle of the floor as the sun came up…


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Spencer woke up with a stiff back and pins and needles running through his right arm. He groaned slightly, pulling the pillow over his head and waking in confusion when his cheek hit the carpet. He sat up quickly.

"Scarlett?!" he called out her name, looking around.

The pillow and blanket were on the floor beside him, but he didn't see or hear her. He jumped up, ignoring the pain that shot through his hip, and went to search for her.

Scarlett saw him come from the bedroom, noticing the slight fear in his eyes and blamed herself for putting that look there…

"Hey," she called to him, pulling the headphones out of her ears. "I didn't want to wake you…" she told him as she finished stretching on the last of her yoga positions.

"You didn't, the floor did," he told her honestly, watching as she completed her routine with the salutation pose. "How long have you been up?" he asked.

Scarlett glanced at the clock. "About an hour… I tried to get you to get in bed for a while longer, but you were out cold…" she shrugged.

"Yeah… well," he ran his hand through his hair nervously and shrugged also. "We probably shouldn't have slept on the floor," he scowled, shaking his arm out to try to stop the numbness that was working its way through it.

"I woke up stiff, too," she smiled at him, noticing the move. She walked over to the couch, standing on the edge of it so she could reach his shoulders.

"Come here, boy," she indicated for him to stand before her.

When he complied, she began rubbing his tense muscles, working the worst of the pain out of them with her fingers. When he twisted his neck and cracked it, Scarlett made a face.

"Ugh, stop that, you'll make it worse," she complained, moving her fingers up to his neck.

Spencer felt her hands move under his shirt and twitched nervously. She stopped.

"Am I hurting you?" she asked quickly.

"Uh, no…" he shook his head and she heard the anxious sound of his voice. Scarlett ran her fingers lightly over his skin again noticing how his muscles tensed up.

She moved closer, brushing his hair off the back of his neck and pressed her lips there. He sucked in a quick breath and held it.

"Take off your shirt," she told him. She saw the blush heat his neck when she tugged on the hem of his t-shirt dragging it up.

Spencer moved his arms, lifting it over his head, feeling her hands work at the rest of the knots in his back. He tried to distract his mind from her touch by running applied mathematics through his head.

"Spencer," he heard her whisper his name across his ear and shivered. Everything else ran out of his mind at the husky sound of her voice. "Turn around…"

He swallowed the lump in his throat and turned, keeping his eyes lowered. He heard her sigh as she pressed a kiss to his forehead.

"I can't help you relax if you keep doing that," she said gently, running her fingers over the tense set of his jaw.

He looked up into her eyes, seeing her concern. When he only held her gaze for a moment, she lifted his chin.

"I'm so sorry, my sweet boy, that I put that guarded look in your eyes," she said gently, still apologizing, picking up the conversation from where it had left off when he'd fallen into an exhausted sleep.

Spencer moved a fraction closer, wrapping his arms around her waist, laying his head against her shoulder. When she held him close, running her hands over his back, he shivered.

Scarlett kissed his hair. "I promise, I'll find a way to make it up to you," she told him, keeping him tucked against her heart. She felt him shake his head.

"I just need you," he replied softly. "As long as I have you…"

"You do, Spence, I swear it- you have me…" she nudged him back a little and when he only tightened his grip, refusing to look at her, she tried a different tactic. If he thought himself as the submissive, then she'd just have to use that.

"Reid. Look at me," she demanded. She felt him stiffen, but he obeyed, lifting his head.

"Stop calling me Reid," he muttered, looking into her eyes, then away.

"Then don't look away from me, _boy_ …" she ordered. He immediately locked his eyes with hers.

"Better," she gave him a soft smile, gently touching his cheeks. "Are you going to listen to me?" she asked, watching his hazel gaze flare slightly. He bit his lips together, nodding.

Scarlett leaned over him, her lips a breath away from his skin. She could see his pulse jump along his throat as he swallowed hard.

"I need you, Spencer…" she whispered. "More than you can possibly know… I never meant to hurt you, I thought I was protecting myself from being hurt… but it doesn't work like that. I can't protect myself- I need you to do that…" she offered, opening up a part of her as she never had before.

"I need you to be strong for me, when I'm not," she told him. "I need you to be patient while I try to fix me…" Scarlett laid a finger to his lips when he tried to interrupt her at that.

"Hush, _Reid_ ," she said gently. "I know- and you do too- that I've got things to work on…" she gave him a sad smile, biting at her bottom lip nervously.

"I need your help with that, too," she asked. "But mostly, I need you in ways I haven't even figured out yet…" she brushed her lips against his lightly as she spoke.

Spencer felt a small sound reach the back of his throat and tried to swallow it down, but Scarlett ran her finger lightly up over his adam's apple, bringing the mewling noise out, capturing it with her mouth.

He felt her lips touch his and he couldn't resist leaning into her kiss.

Scarlett felt the connection ignite a burn between them and stoked it.

"Don't give up on me, Spence," she begged him.

His heart broke at the tone of her voice.

Reid shook his head, not able to speak, lost in her eyes and in her touch. He feathered a kiss to her lips, and Scarlett held his face in her hands, studying his eyes.

"I won't ever…" he promised. "But you can't either…" he told her. "You can't give up on us…"

"I won't… I promise I won't give up. I will still get caught up in my own head sometimes- I can work myself up into a panic, all by myself…" she saw him press his lips together, looking away nervously at her words. Stroking his cheek gently, she moved back into his line of sight, keeping his eyes on hers.

"Spencer. You know this. You know that I panic… But I need you to reach back and give me a shake when I do. It was never my intention to give up or make you think I was…"

Scarlett moved forward a bit on the edge of the couch so she could lean her forehead against his.

"Do you believe me, farm boy?" she asked him gently.

Reid nodded, watching her eyes, seeing her pleading with him to believe her. He cleared his throat to speak.

"I panicked too," he replied softly.

"I know, baby. And I am so very sorry that I caused that. Can you forgive me?" she asked, brushing his hair back from his face.

Spencer didn't answer; instead he reached his arms around her, holding her tightly. He hid his face into her neck; Scarlett could feel him wrap her into his embrace.

"This is the only place I feel safe," he whispered against her skin. "There is no other place that I want to be, but in your arms, crazy girl. I don't need to 'forgive' you anything… I just... I need you to hold me and tell me I'm safe…"

Scarlett felt his elbows dig into her ribs as he held her tighter. His words started coming faster as he pushed out his fears to her…

"I'm sorry too, that I made you think I wanted something else… I don't- I didn't mean it like that… and I'm sorry that I didn't think before I'd said any of that… I don't want…"

Scarlett stopped him by pressing her lips against his mouth. Spencer moved his hands quickly to the side of her head, kissing her back desperately now. His lips moved over hers, tasting her, drawing reassurance from her touch as she returned his kiss. When his breathing stuttered, she spoke against his mouth, never losing the contact of his kiss.

"Shh. Spence, just… shh," she breathed the words against his lips.

"You're safe," she told him gently, kissing him again.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Spencer scooped her legs from under her and spun her around onto the couch covering her, pressing his body on top of hers. He deepened his kiss, ravishing her mouth, stealing her breath from her throat while she tried to keep up with him as he became more frantic…

"Spence..."

"Katy, I can't get close enough… I need to be with you…" he couldn't find right the words to tell her how desperately he wanted to be one with her…

Scarlett lifted herself when she felt him tug at her shorts, letting him strip away the barrier between them. She arched against him, reaching for his hips after he kicked off his pants. She pulled him down on top of her again, groaning as he entered her. His body shuddered in response to the sound; he lay his weight across her, breathing heavily, struggling to control himself.

He felt her hands skim across his back, her fingers trailing lightly over his muscles, making him twitch. When she wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling him deeper, he stiffened, trying desperately to rein himself back under control.

"Not. Helping…" he stammered out, biting his lips together tightly as she moved under him.

Scarlett rocked against him again. "It's not?" she asked innocently, teasing him. He curled over her, his muscles tensing under her touch.

"Scarlett- I'm not going to last if you keep that up," he begged her to stop.

"I'm not interested in you 'lasting'," she said, meeting his eyes with an evil grin when he picked up his head to look at her. She moved under him again and saw the control slip…

"Spencer…" she leaned up, closer to his ear, whispering against his heated skin.

"Show me…" she told him, wanting to know what he was holding back.

Scarlett arched back when he pulled her up against his hips and braced his feet against the arm of the couch for leverage, pushing himself deeper into her.

They both stopped, looking at each other in shock when they heard the crack of the wood snapping under the pressure from his foothold. Scarlett recovered from the surprise first and grinned at him.

"Whoops," she giggled slightly, looking over his shoulder towards the sound. She couldn't see what had caused the noise from this angle…

"Fuck it…" she told him, pulling his mouth back down to hers.

"Right," Spencer breathed out in a huff, moving with her once again. "Jesus… Scarlett…"

He felt her nails scratch lightly into his back and moaned, burying himself deeper inside her. The wood cracked again, but he ignored the sound… he was beyond hearing it, beyond anything that didn't involve getting closer to her…

Without thinking, he lowered his head to her neck and bit her. Scarlett gasped at the sensation.

Spencer jerked back, looking into her eyes when she dragged in a stilted breath, afraid of her response…

"Sorry," he said quickly, watching her face.

"Uh-huh, no… don't be…" she said, seeing the shocked look on his face. When she lifted her chin, baring her throat to him in offering, he felt lust curl tightly in his lower abdomen and bit at her again.

"Scarlett…" her name growled in his chest. She felt his heart speed up as he tensed against her, caught in an orgasm.

Spencer panted struggling to catch his breath when he felt her move her hips under him.

"My turn," she warned, grinning up at him as she hooked her feet behind his knees and flipped their positions.

The blanket they were positioned on slid off of the leather couch and Spencer caught her as they fell in a tangle on to the floor.

Scarlett laughed as his knee caught her in the back when she landed on top of him. The little air he had left rushed from his lungs as he hit the floor.

"Sorry… Nice save," she apologized as she looked down onto his face. She leaned over to kiss his lips, riding out the wave of pleasure that ran through her body.

Reid felt her muscles contract around him and grabbed her hips as she ground against him. His own body bowed back in response to hers as she came.

Scarlett fell forward, covering him under her weight. She smiled softly at his groan.

"Holy god…" he moaned.

"Is your back okay, boy," she asked in a giggle.

"I don't care enough to move to find out…" he said honestly, lifting his hand weakly. "I don't think I _can_ move…"

Scarlett raised her head enough to look into his eyes. "As long as you didn't break anything," she saw him squint at her.

"You mean besides the couch?" he asked, reminding her, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, umm… yeah?" she said, turning around to eye up the damage. She saw the arm was leaning slightly to the side. Looking back at him she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Guess you don't know your own strength, huh?" she teased, rubbing her leg against his thighs. Spencer snorted.

"Right…" he turned his head to the side, looking over at the couch himself. He saw the frame was pulled out from the support and leaning to the left.

"Oh, shit…" he sat up, adjusting her hips onto his lap.

"I guess it really is broken…" he said, a blush starting to heat his neck.

"Looks like…" Scarlett chuckled. "Now what do we…"

She stopped in the middle of her sentence when she heard a knock and the front door opened.

"Penelope! Freeze!" she squealed as Spencer grabbed the blanket from beside them and covered them.

"For fuck's sake, Pens, I told you _not_ to knock and walk!" Reid hollered out, his face flaming red. He heard her heels stop in the front hall.

"Uh-oh, sorry!" Penny apologized, a small chuckle in her voice.

"Ya know, you two seriously need to learn how to lock a door…" Morgan's voice called out, letting them know Garcia wasn't alone.

"You didn't lock the door?" Scarlett asked Spencer on a loud whisper.

"I forgot- last night… I wasn't thinking…" he answered back. Scarlett giggled, pulling the blanket closer around them.

"Ready to make a run for it?" she winked.

"Can this get any more embarrassing?" he complained as he grabbed their clothes from the couch. His pants were snagged in the broken arm and when he yanked at them the side fell further, landing against the end table with a crash.

"What the hell was that?" Derek asked.

"Fuck me…" Spencer swore ripely. "It's nothing… Stay put!" he yelled at his friends.

Scarlett laughed loudly and covered her mouth. "I think that qualifies as 'more embarrassing'," she teased as she grabbed Spencer around the waist, dragging him into the bedroom. Once they reached the door, she yelled back to her brother.

"Clear," she said beginning to laugh hysterically.

"I'm glad one of us finds this funny," Spencer shook his head, jumping into his pants as quickly as possible.

"What did you guys do to the couch?" Derek asked as he moved into the living room.

"Spence got a little rough…" Scarlett hollered back through the door.

" _Scarlett_!" Reid squeaked at her in a harsh whisper. "Can you not…?"

"Nope," she moved over to him, pulling him down to meet her lips. She rubbed her nose to his and grinned. "It's funny…"

"It's _not_ funny," he hissed but his lips twitched when he heard Penelope's next comment.

"Hey, how come we haven't reached the broken furniture level yet?" she teased Morgan. Derek said something they couldn't quite catch and Garcia giggled.

Scarlett finished dressing and tried to tug Reid back out to the living room. Spencer cringed at the sound of the table they'd pushed being set back into its place…

"I think I'll just stay back and die a thousand deaths behind closed doors," he told her, his cheeks still pinked with a blush.

Scarlett rolled her eyes at him. "Ohh, no you don't… I've gotta go face them so, so do you, boy…" she tugged his hand again and he dragged his feet behind her.

"Think of it this way sweetie," she teased, looking down at his watch. "They could've shown up earlier…"

"Ugh…" he squeezed his eyes closed, following her back into the living room. When he opened them, he saw Morgan looking at the couch then over to meet his eyes.

Spencer's face flushed hotly.

"How's your head, little one?" Derek snarked at Scarlett. He saw the surprised look on Reid's face and grinned.

"Her head?" Spencer asked, looking at Morgan, confused. "Why? Oh…"

Reid felt his face heat more. _Shit_ … "No…"

"My feet…" Spencer clarified, scowling and moving to the couch, kicking the side lightly with the toe of his converse.

Morgan laughed at his brother's discomfort. "Ahh, I see…"

Reid moved to the side of the couch, lifting the end as Morgan grabbed the other.

"Need a hand?" he smirked as Spencer rolled his eyes.

"Just, shut up…" Reid groused, thinking his face was going to permanently stay this shade of red if they didn't stop razzing him soon.

Morgan chuckled lightly and kicked his side back into place also. The arm stayed and held but still wobbled.

"I think you may have to replace the whole couch, pretty boy…" he teased, picking up a splintered part of the frame and dropping it into Spencer's hand. "It's toast…"

Spencer palmed the piece of wood and shook his head. "Whatever…" he shoved the piece into his pocket.

"Make sure your next couch comes with a warranty…" Morgan winked at him.

"Or a steel frame," Garcia chirped from the doorway of the kitchen.

"Alright already guys, stop," Scarlett hid her grin. "Poor Spence is going to crawl under the floorboards soon if you don't let up…" she teased, moving over to his side. Spencer wrapped an arm around her shoulder and hid his face in her hair.

"Awe, come on," Penny laughed. "It's not every day we get to see evidence of his prowess… and bust on him mercilessly…"

"You could have called before you came over…" Spencer mumbled. Scarlett felt him press a kiss into her hair and reached to hold his hand at her shoulder. She gave it a quick squeeze.

"Ho… do you forget you are talking to the queen of everything digital?" Penny smirked. "I called, I texted, I messaged and I voxxed- you two have gone stone aged…" she warned them as she ticked off the list on her fingers. "Neither of you answered all morning…"

"Oh…" Spencer looked down at Scarlett. "I think the phones are still on the bed…"

"We never plugged them in," Scarlett shrugged. "They must have died. And I haven't gotten online…" she told Garcia. "We stayed up all night talking…"

Penny snorted and eyed up the couch.

"That was this morning…" Spencer retorted, the words out of his mouth before he could stop them. His face heated again when Derek laughed.

"Christ…" Reid scrubbed at his face. Scarlett looked up at him with an evil grin.

"This afternoon," she corrected him gleefully.

"Don't you start too," he scowled down at her.

Scarlett patted his cheek lightly. "Nah, if I did you might not help me take out the chair next," she teased, kissing him.

Morgan laughed out loud.

"Steel frames, kid…" he reminded Reid with a smirk. "It's a necessary thing…"

"So what brought you guys by, besides the dead phones?" Scarlett asked, trying to change the subject for Spencer's benefit.

"I brought dinner…" Penelope waved a hand towards the kitchen. "I wanted to talk baby… and you weren't answering," she pouted.

"Ah, sorry girl," Scarlett reached over and hugged her friend. "I just needed to iron out a few wrinkles with me first…" she sent a look over at Spencer.

"You okay?" Penelope asked, seeing the exchange.

Scarlett nodded. "I'm okay… I'm happy. I'm just also scared out of my mind…" she admitted. "You know how well that works for me…" she looked over at Derek.

"Right," Morgan nodded, looking over to meet Reid's eyes. "And you?"

"Scared right along with her," he replied, shrugging uncomfortably.

"Both of us being afraid at the same time will take some work figuring out, on both our parts…" Spencer said, looking at Scarlett.

Morgan reached over and squeezed his brother's shoulder. "Neither of you are alone, kid…" he told them.

Spencer bit his lips together and nodded as Scarlett moved to hug her brother, then over into his own arms.

"Thanks," he said, holding Scarlett closer. Spencer saw Penelope move into Derek's embrace and looked between the three of them.

"Can we talk baby now?" she asked with a grin.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Scarlett walked through the doors of the BAU holding her coffee in one hand and cell phone in the other…

"Got it, just hold a moment while I check…" she said as she set the cup down on her desk. Spencer watched her roll her eyes impatiently as she wrote something down on a piece of paper. She saw him look over at her quizzically as she handed him the note.

 _Dr. Adams, OB/GYN 2 pm_ _Okay for you too?_ and Thursday's date was scrawled out in her handwriting. He nodded at her quickly, handing the page back to her.

"Okay, that's time is fine," she said to the receptionist. "Right… see you then…"

Scarlett disconnected the call and stared Reid down.

"Do I need to say how much I hate doctor appointments again?" she stressed, sighing hugely.

Spencer met her eyes. "Um, no?" he said, seeing the irritation in her frown. "It is necessary…" Scarlett's glare stopped his words.

"Sorry?" he offered, willing to take the blame for her being pregnant and having to see the doctors regularly, if it meant it would stave off another meltdown…

"Sorry?" she raised her brow at him as he shrugged. "Jesus, Spencer, please just stop with all the 'sorryies' already for fuck's sake…" she was cut off when her desk phone rang and she glared at it.

"Ryan…" she snapped as she answered the phone. Reid picked up his mug from his desk, escaping to the coffee station, trying to move out of her line of fire.

JJ bumped into him as he made the corner fast without looking.

"Whoa, Spence…" she teased, moving out of his way. "I think maybe you've already had too much caffeine," she said with a grin. "You're more jittery than usual…"

"Not because of caffeine," he shook his head, sending a look over JJ's shoulder.

"Problem?" she asked her friend. She saw a strange look cross his face.

Spencer took her by the elbow, dragging her back into the breakroom.

"How long do the mood swings last?" he asked her, his voice dropping to a near whisper.

"What?" JJ covered the smile that threatened her lips. "Ummm, Reid, please tell me you didn't ask Scarlett that?"

"Christ no!" he scrubbed at his neck nervously. "I just- I can't say anything right, right now… She's just, not being reasonable…"

JJ's eyes rounded at his words and she arched a brow at him.

"Sorry!" he put his hands up in front of him, taking a step back from her now too.

"Maybe it _is_ me…" he muttered, thinking about how he could possibly manage to not say another word for the next few months…

"Mood swings are completely normal, Spence. Hormones can play hell on a person," JJ decided to cut him a tiny break and offered him some coffee.

"I understand all that," he scowled, knowing the physiology of what was happening. "But… why is _everything_ I say or suggest the reason that the fuse gets lit?" he asked.

"Well, maybe if you're saying things like, 'You aren't being reasonable'… it could be how you are wording things," she suggested with a small grin.

"I didn't though- I didn't say that… I just reminded her that she had to make an appointment with the doctor, the OB, I mean…"

JJ watched him closely. "Hmm. That's all?" she asked, seeing more in his eyes.

"Well… maybe I reminded her twice," he admitted.

"Huh… well…"

"Umm, this morning…"

"Ah…"

"But then she got mad when I suggested she not skip breakfast," he groused. "She doesn't eat enough to keep a bird alive," he scowled.

"Oh boy…" JJ was beginning to see the problem.

"I even offered to stop again, on the way to work… but instead of realizing I'm worrying about her, she threatened to throat punch me if I brought it up again!" he rolled his eyes, rubbing his neck as if afraid she would have actually carried out her threat.

"So, you're just worried about her…" JJ stated simply as she leaned back against the counter, stirring her coffee.

"What? Yeah- of course… JJ- she moves on autopilot half the time, and the whole while she's taking care of a million things at once, I can't even keep up with her- but never once does she just stop to consider what's better for her… She doesn't think of herself…"

"Or the baby…" JJ said.

Reid stopped talking and looked down at her, his eyes wide.

"That's not true," he bit out, wondering why JJ would say something like that. "Scarlett thinks about the baby. She worries as much as I do..."

JJ shrugged taking a sip from the mug. She waited for the scowl to cross his face before she continued.

"Sorry, Spence. That's not what I just heard…"

"What do you mean?" he edged out on a huff.

"What I heard was that you've had to repeatedly nag your wife all morning, just to get her to eat right or make a doctor appointment that she needs…" JJ waited for the anger to spark in his eyes on Scarlett's behalf. She didn't have to wait long.

"JJ- you aren't being fair. You are making it sound like she's not taking care of the baby…" he started to snap at her, but JJ interrupted him quickly, turning her own temper on him.

"No, Spencer _you_ made it sound like she wasn't taking care of herself, which in essence, means she's not taking care of the baby… So, now do you hear yourself, Reid?" she asked.

Spencer took step back from the anger he saw flash in JJ's eyes.

"I- I didn't mean…" he stammered. "I didn't say it that way… to mean it to sound like that…"

A distressed look crossed his face as he reconsidered how he'd been acting and how Scarlett had been reacting the past week.

"Shit," he swore, running his hand through his hair nervously, seeing it now.

"I know you didn't mean it to sound like that..." JJ moved over to him and gave him a quick hug. "But maybe you could cut Scarlett a break? I mean- have you considered she may not eating much because she's nauseous?" she asked.

"She didn't say she was…" Spencer pinched the bridge of his nose when JJ gave him a look. He sighed.

"Never mind, you're right… she wouldn't say," he agreed with JJ's unspoken comment. "She'd just handle it, herself."

"Yeah…and can I ask why you're so worried about her getting another appointment so quickly? The doctor in Oklahoma just gave her a clean bill of health last week, Spence… Are you really that worried?" she asked.

Spencer shrugged. "No- but Norie and Fran are coming in next week, and I- I don't know, I just kind of hoped we'd already have our first visit in with our own doctor before they came. I, uh, was being selfish- I wanted some time alone with Scarlett after that, ya know?" he blushed slightly, scuffing his foot against the carpeting.

JJ's smile softened at his words. "Maybe you need to tell Scarlett _that_ …" she offered, giving his arm a pat.

Reid picked his eyes up from the toe of his sneakers to meet JJ's gaze. "Do you think?"

She nodded. "Yeah, Spence- because the alternative is that she may be thinking _you're_ thinking that she's not taking care of the baby right…"

"But that's not it at all…" he worried JJ was right.

" _I_ know that now, because you _told_ me, but does Scarlett?" she gave him a sideways glance.

He sighed, closing his eyes and running his hand through his hair again, exasperated with himself. "Right… I just don't know how to say it to her…"

JJ rested her hand on his arm. "Sweetie…" she said gently. "Scarlett's not your mom…"

Reid's eyes widened a bit at that. "I _know_ that," he scowled, embarrassment heating his face...

"I'm not saying this to be mean Spencer, but do you?" JJ continued. "You know you don't have to take care of her?"

"Of course I have to take care of her," he said in confusion. "I don't understand…"

"No, you don't. She can take care of herself, Spence. Probably better than any other woman you know…"

Spencer shook his head. "I know that too… but…"

"No, no 'buts'," she corrected him. "Scarlett can take care of herself…"

JJ watched his lips press together in a thin line.

"Maybe _I_ need to take care of her…" he crossed his arms tightly over his chest. "I _want_ to take care of her. Is there something wrong with that?"

"No. There isn't, as long as Scarlett understands that too…" JJ warned him.

"I thought she would…" he scowled. "I hoped she would…"

"Spence, _tell_ her. Don't think or hope… just tell her," JJ stressed. "Otherwise, you're probably feeding into her own fears without even knowing it."

Reid sighed, knowing now that JJ was right. He looked down at his friend.

"I will… thanks," he said, reaching over to give JJ a hug. When he did, he felt her stomach bump against him and looked down at her, eyes wide…

"Was that…?" he asked, with a look of shock on his face.

JJ laughed. "Yeah, Uncle Spencer- your godchild just gave you a good swift kick for Aunt Scarlett," she teased.

"Oh, wow…" he looked down at JJ's belly. "How- uh… how much longer until…" he swallowed hard at the lump in his throat.

"Until?" JJ prompted, a bit confused. She knew Spencer knew she was due in August...

"Oh… until you'll feel _your_ baby moving?" she asked, understanding the wonder on his face.

"Um, yeah…" he blushed.

"Usually around the fourth or fifth month… between sixteen and twenty weeks. Although Scarlett will feel it before you will be able to," she explained.

Spencer's brows furrowed in concern when he saw her stomach jump a little. "Does it hurt?" he asked softly.

JJ smiled at his question. "No, Spence. It doesn't hurt. It is wonderful… like nothing else, ever. I can't describe it to you, there aren't words."

"Are you still freaked out?" she giggled, remembering his expression when she'd been pregnant with Henry and he felt the baby kicking.

"Yes, uh… maybe even a million times more, because it's Scarlett…" he turned his eyes to JJ and she saw the fear there.

"Because you think she can't manage to take care of herself?" she asked, showing him patiently how his way of phrasing his words could be misinterpreted.

"Ugh," Spencer scrubbed at his face. "No…" he heaved a heavy sigh, re-thinking what he was trying to say.

"It freaks me out to think something I did to her could hurt her. Uh, is _going_ to hurt her, I mean… she's afraid of giving birth! You saw her, that day with the Johnson's- she was terrified. I _know_ she can handle it… I just don't want her hurting, ever… Not even when it's for something I love as much as I love her," he tried again.

"I'd take the pain for her, if I could," he scowled. "Any of it… the worry, the stress, the morning sickness… I'd take it all for her so she didn't have to- but I can't. Seems like all I can do is keep putting my foot in my mouth," he complained.

"Awe… Spencer. That's what your wife needs to hear," she said, reaching her hand over to cup his chin. "You need to tell her that…"

Spencer bit his lips together into a thin line and nodded. "I need to stop trying to 'take' care of her, and just care _about_ her…" he stated.

"That will probably work better…" she gave him a grin.

Reid smiled back at her. "Thanks," he said. "For the talk and the swift kick."

"Anytime, Spence," JJ reached up and kissed his cheek.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Spencer sat at his desk, working on something while surreptitiously watching Scarlett. He saw her push her hair over her ear as she wrote some notes on her paperwork in front of her then looked up at her computer screen.

She startled a bit when a piece of paper hit her and landed on her desk. Looking up from it, she glanced over at Reid and saw him grin. Raising her brow; she glanced down at the folded note, opening it.

 _I'm sorry_ … it read, surrounded with little hearts and sad looking cartoon faces. Scarlett rolled her eyes, shaking her head at him.

Spencer moved around his desk, going to sit on the corner of hers.

"Reid," she huffed his name impatiently as she looked up at him. "You don't need to keep apologizing," she told him.

"Okay… rip it up then," he told her, nudging the note back into her hands.

Scarlett eyed him suspiciously, seeing that he was up to something.

"Spencer…"

"Humor me," he asked her, nodding at the paper. "Please?" he asked, giving her a forced puppy dog look.

"Ugh. Fine," she gave in and ripped the page in half.

"You can do better than that," he grinned. "Pretend it's a list of all the things that I've been nagging you about," he offered.

Now Scarlett scowled at him, ripping the note into tiny bits as she gave him a tight lipped smirk, proving to him that what JJ had said was spot on…

Before she had a chance to throw the pieces in his face, he scooped them up into his palm, transferring them into hers. He wrapped her hand around them gently.

"That'll work," he teased, folding her fingers so the pieces were held tightly in her fist.

He turned her hand over, kissing the back of it lightly, and then turned it once again, skimming his lips over her fingers. He blew across her hand softly.

"What in the world are you doing?" she asked, seeing some of their co-workers now watching him. She blushed slightly. It certainly wasn't like Spencer to draw attention to himself, let alone towards them as a couple.

"Open your hand and see," he told her.

Scarlett did as he asked and found a perfectly folded pink piece of paper now in her hand…

"What?!" she looked up at his face, seeing his smile.

"Open it," he said again, his grin spreading at the shock on her face.

She unfolded the note and when little pieces of glittery hearts fell out all over her desk, she gasped in surprise. On the page itself he'd drawn a heart with a smiley face, and I love you was written over and over in his familiar scrawl in several different languages.

Scarlett felt the tears pick at her eyelids and shook her head in disbelief.

"How did you do that?" she asked, giving him a teary smile.

"Magic…" he teased.

Spencer then leaned down towards her and did something that he'd never usually do. He took her face in his hands, reaching for her lips and gave her a very public kiss.

Scarlett's face heated with a full blown blush as she heard some of the others around them begin to whisper and chuckle. She was pretty sure she even heard someone say 'awe'…

Shaking her head in disbelief at his antics, she laughed.

"Okay, farm boy… you're forgiven," she told him, tugging on his tie and pulling him closer for another kiss.

He ignored the couple of cat calls and teasing remarks from his co-workers as he looked into Scarlett's eyes.

"We're going to get written up for inappropriate sexual conduct at the workplace," he teased her, nipping her lips once more before backing away.

"Fuck 'em," she smirked.

Spencer smiled, taking her hand in his, threading her fingers to his.

"Will you take a walk with me, my beautiful girl?" he asked her.

Scarlett nodded, rising up from her seat to join him. "Sure, my pretty boy," she smiled, keeping her hand in his as they left the office together.

JJ looked over at Morgan from her desk as they watched their friends leave hand in hand.

Derek tapped his pencil against his hand and shrugged. "I always told him chicks dig magic," he chuckled. JJ grinned and shook her head.

Once they were outside, Scarlett wrapped her arm around Spencer's waist and tucked herself in closer to his side. He settled his arm over her shoulders, just walking quietly for a bit, enjoying the warmth of the sun. After they walked a bit further, Scarlett finally said what was on her mind.

"I really would rather if you'd stop with all the apologizing Spence," she said gently, glancing up at his face before looking away again. "It seems like lately that every sentence you say to me starts with 'I'm sorry'," she worried. "Am I being that much of a bitch that you think I'm constantly angry?"

"No," Spencer pressed a kiss to her temple. "I just need to say things the right way… It's not you, crazy girl… and I haven't meant to make you feel like I'm nagging you about stuff," he offered. "So for that I am sorry. I'll try to think before I say things… Like about the doctor..."

"I really want to have the first visit in, before Norie and your mom get in town. I want to hear everything is okay and have you to myself for a little while, just so we can be alone together. I'm being selfish, I know- but, I can't help it," he told her with a slight shrug. He caught the look of surprise then the soft smile that crossed her face.

"Oh…" Scarlett hugged his waist tighter. "You should have told me that… and it's not selfish, it's sweet…"

"Yeah, that's what JJ said," he gave her half a grin.

Scarlett raised her brow. "You talked to JJ about me?"

"No, I talked to JJ about me…" he clarified. "She pointed out how I was screwing up…"

"You aren't screwing anything up Spencer," Scarlett scowled. "I figured you were just worried… and I didn't know what to say to make you stop."

"It's not just 'worry'," he thought carefully on how to phrase his words. "I worry, yeah- about you, about the baby… but it's more. I'm over-thinking about how you feel, what _you_ may be worrying about- and I want to fix everything to make you happy," he said.

"I am happy, Spence," she told him gently.

"Good," he breathed out the word on a huff, looking down into her eyes. "Scarlett, I don't know how to stop trying to keep you happy, though. I'm not sure if I can, and now I'm worried I'm driving you crazy…"

She laughed, pinching his waist lightly. "I'm already crazy, farm boy… you can't drive me there," she joked.

Reid led her over towards a bench so they could sit awhile. When Scarlett moved closer, settling her head against his shoulder she felt him sigh. She looked up at his face and saw him staring ahead, thinking of something.

"Uh, JJ said that I have to stop treating you the same way would I treat my mother," he said softly, not wanting to apologize again, but wanting her to know that he understood that he had been doing it…

"Well, ouch," Scarlett scowled. "That wasn't fair of her to bring your mom into this…" she said angrily. She thought idly about the forehead flick she still owed her friend…

"No, Scarlett- she was right. I didn't realize I had been doing it, though because I don't really have any experience with taking care of someone besides my mom. JJ made me see that you don't need to be taken care of… and I know, you can handle everything yourself- I'm quite aware of that fact," his voice tightened a bit as he said the next part… "But- I really want to take care of you, Katy…" he told her softly.

Scarlett reached up to touch the frown that marred his brow, tracing the lines until they eased away.

"That's sort of hard for me, Spence. I'm not used to letting people take care of me. I don't really like it, to be honest. So I'm not going to be able to make it easy for you."

"Right," he stared away again, and she saw a hurt look move across face.

"Hey," she nudged him, bringing his attention back to her. "That doesn't mean I won't try…" she told him, taking his hand. "For you, I'll try. You just have to cut me a break if I jump down your throat. Warn me that you're trying to help and I'm not letting you or something so I don't get too bitchy…"

Spencer met her eyes, smiling down at her softly. "I guess that learning curve still stands for both of us then?" he asked.

"Absolutely," she grinned. "That's probably going to have to be an on-going thing, for the rest of our lives, farm boy. It's a part of growing together…"

He kissed her gently, rubbing his cheek to hers. "That sounds good to me," he nodded. "Especially the rest of our lives, part crazy girl…"

" _Pour tous les temps_ …" she told him, kissing him again. "I'm holding you to your promise, boy," she grinned.

"For all time, Katy… I promise," he hugged her closer.

"How about we start with you 'taking care of me' by taking me to lunch, sweet boy, before our hour is up?" she teased.

"You're hungry?" he asked and when she nodded he breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank God…" he grinned. "I'm freaking starved…"


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Geesh, Spencer," she shook her head as he lead her into a small diner. "You don't have to skip meals, just because I'm not hungry…"

"I know… but I didn't want to mention it again," he gave her a sheepish look.

"Are you getting morning sickness?" he asked gently as they took a booth, really wanting to know why she wasn't eating.

"It's more like 'all-day' sickness, boy…" she admitted. Scarlett saw the concern cross his face.

"I'll be alright, Spence," she explained further, clasping his hand across the table as the server brought them menus. "I'm not throwing up or anything, just… nauseated. Scents are killing me lately," she wrinkled her nose in disgust. "I don't even like to smell food cooking… I can hold it down, but the 'before' part is putting me off from eating in the first place…"

"I didn't know that," he watched her face. "You need to tell me these things, Katy. I _can_ cook dinner, instead of you always doing it, you know," he scowled a bit at her.

"Ugh- I know… but there's a 'you taking care of me part' involved," she told him, feeling herself get twitchy at the thought of him taking over the daily chore.

"Why? It's just dinner…"

"It's my job, and you are doing it for me, that's why," she groused, not having a better explanation. "I don't care if you do it once and a while, but if you're doing all the time, then I'm not holding up my end of the housework."

Spencer considered her words for a moment. "So we'll trade off. You get clean up duty instead, until you're feeling good enough to start cooking again. I hate washing dishes anyway…" he offered.

Scarlett stuck her tongue out at him. "I do too," she teased. "But it sounds fair, as long as you don't make seven course meals with every pan in the house."

"If I do, I'll help with the dishes, I promise," he laughed. "Okay?"

"Okay," Scarlett sighed, looking over the menu again as their waitress came back for their orders. They decided on which sandwiches they'd wanted and the older woman- Ella, Scarlett noted by her tag, brought over their drinks.

"I'll bring these right out," the woman smiled, writing the order down on her tablet.

Scarlett sipped on the homemade iced tea, stirring her own sugar into it.

It made Spencer think of something else.

"What about the tea you made for JJ?" he asked after the waitress left, wondering why Scarlett wasn't drinking it herself. JJ had said it worked like a charm.

"Ummm, yeah…" she shrugged uncomfortably. "I tried mixing some of it up for myself. That actually did make me barf…"

"Oh… ah, the smell of the herbs made you sick?" he asked and saw her nod, looking embarrassed.

"Can I make it for you? I mean, if that's okay- I can follow your recipe… if you can manage to drink it after it's made, it might help, right?"

Scarlett tilted her head towards him. "It's not just the 'recipe' though, boy. You have to do the ritual too, to make it right. And I wouldn't ask…"

"You aren't asking," Spencer shook his head, interrupting her. "I'm _telling_ you I could do it. I just wouldn't want to touch your things without permission."

"You would do that for me?" she sounded surprised.

"Scarlett," he rolled his eyes. "You shouldn't even have to ask that question. I would do anything for you- or for the baby…"

"Right… I know- I'm sorry," she apologized.

Reid grinned. "Don't you start that now," he teased her over her apology. Scarlett pretended to lock her lips against the phrase.

"Thank you," she said instead, resting her hand over his. They moved apart when the waitress came back with their food, setting the plates before them. They started eating, enjoying the quiet moment together.

Scarlett took a few more bites of her sandwich, then set the food back down on her plate and pushed it away from her.

"What's wrong?" he asked, seeing her face flush a bit.

"I can't stand the smell… not the sandwich," she clarified. "It's the restaurant… something reeks of garlic…" she swallowed deeply, looking towards the kitchen.

Spencer saw her cover her mouth and nose with a napkin, breathing slowly into the cloth. He looked around the area, and then back to her eyes.

"I don't smell anything- but we can just get these to go, and eat them on the way back to the office," he suggested, rather than have her appetite ruined.

Scarlett nodded, looking at the door. "I'm sorry- I've got to get out of here… I'll wait for you outside," she told him. Spencer could see her face was turning ashen. Something was really bothering her nose, to the point where it was turning her stomach.

"Go…" he responded, seeing the desperate look in her eyes. "I'll get these wrapped and take care of the bill- just get some fresh air."

She swallowed again at the bile rising in her throat and bolted for the exit before Reid even had a chance to flag down their waitress.

The woman had noticed Scarlett's sprint to the doors, however, and went directly to the table to see if something was wrong.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, her eyes looking from Reid to where Scarlett had run.

Spencer only shook his head in response to the question. "Can we just have these wrapped to go?" he asked.

"Sure- was something wrong, honey?" the older woman looked at the barely touched food.

"Uh, no- it's just uh, my wife is pregnant, and smells are suddenly a problem…" he said, quickly looking to the window and watching Scarlett through it. She stood at the edge of the sidewalk beside a tree, leaning against it heavily.

"Oh… I hear ya," Ella shook her head in sympathy, understanding. "My second child gave me that problem," she told him. "I started putting peppermint oil on tissues and carried them or candies in my pockets. That way if I smelled something that bothered me, I could cover it up…" she offered her solution to him as a suggestion.

Spencer raised his brows. "That's a great idea," he said. "Thanks," he smiled up at her.

"Aw, honey, no thanks needed. Pregnant women share these secrets all the time…" she winked at him. "You go out to your wife… I'll wrap these up and bring them out to you with your change," she said, seeing how Spencer kept watching Scarlett anxiously.

"Right, uh, but keep the change… and thanks again," he said, leaving the table to go to where Scarlett was now pacing.

Scarlett kept her eyes closed, still fighting off the nausea as the smells from the restaurant kept assailing her. She groaned and leaned against the tree again, praying she wouldn't throw up on the street. She lifted her head when she scented Reid moving closer.

"You alright, Katy?" he asked quietly, his voice reaching her ears. She shook her head and swallowed thickly.

Spencer saw she kept her eyes closed and was still a pale white color. "Does anything smell good to you right now?" he asked, concern for her clear in his voice. "I mean something that you could use to cover the other smells?" he asked hoping Ella's suggestion might help.

She shook her head with a scowl and cleared her throat, trying to speak.

"You," she managed to mumble behind her clenched jaw as she tried to not breathe.

"Me?"

When she only nodded, he looked down at her scrunched up features, and pulled her into his arms.

"That should be a simple enough fix, then," he said as he tucked her face against his chest, surrounding her with his body. Spencer felt her take a stuttering breath as if testing the air. When she started breathing more regularly, he rubbed her back.

"Better?" he asked softly, kissing her forehead.

"Oh, God, yes…" she told him, keeping her face against his chest. "This is so embarrassing…" she complained.

"Now you don't worry about that none, sweet thing…" Scarlett peeked open her eyes at the sound of the waitress's voice, surprised to see the woman bringing their bag out here on the sidewalk.

"I was just telling your husband when I saw you rush out like that, that I went through the same thing with my second boy when I was in my first trimester…"

Scarlett gave the woman a wan smile but didn't trust herself to pull away from Spencer's arms. "Please tell me it goes away?" she asked weakly.

"Oh, it does, usually pretty quickly, although I'm sure it doesn't feel quick enough right now," she chuckled. She handed the food over to Reid.

"The best you can do is try to stay away from triggers," the woman winked at the couple.

"So far that's becoming everything," Scarlett complained on a groan.

"Keep something that smells good to you nearby," the kindly older woman offered. "Even if it's a bottle of cologne you can keep in your pocket or something…"

Scarlett nodded and breathed in Spencer's scent again. "I'll try that… thank you, Ella, for being so kind…" she said, reaching over to touch the woman's hand.

"Not at all, sweetie. Just putting in some good karma," she winked at Scarlett, indicating she had noticed the small pentacle tattoo behind Scarlett's ear. "We have to stick together," she mentioned.

"Now, you two have a good day," she said, patting Scarlett's shoulder. "And take care little sister…" The woman turned away, heading back inside.

"Thanks," Reid repeated, then looked down at Scarlett. "Ready to head back?" he asked, brushing some of her hair away from her eyes. Her pallor didn't look quite as ashen as it had when he first came out. He gave her a slight smile.

"Yeah… I just want to get this day over with, get home and relax, farm boy…" she squeezed his waist tightly.

Spencer reached down, kissing her hair. "As you wish," he winked at her. Scarlett grinned.

"Hmm. Maybe we can add movies to the relaxing part, and watch 'Princess Bride', since you brought it up," she nudged him with her hip. "Now I want to see it again," she giggled.

"It's a great movie," he agreed. "And a quiet night in sounds fine to me…"


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Reid sat back into the overstuffed cushions of the new sectional couch, watching the tv screen. He shifted a bit, trying to get more comfortable and Scarlett looked over at him.

"We need to break it in more," she teased, nudging her foot against his leg. Spencer lifted his brow to her.

"I thought we already did break it in," he grinned. "But if you want to work on it some more…"

"Ha, ha," she stuck her tongue out at his teasing. "That was only christening it… breaking it in will take more time…"

Spencer moved forward scooting closer to her side. He pulled a strap from her tank top to the side, looking down her shirt. "Again, I'm more than willing," he offered, kissing her shoulder.

"Uh-huh," she smirked, picking some fries from her plate and putting one in his mouth as he reached for her lips. She ate a few more, watching between him and the movie.

"I'm glad that you at least still like fries," he told her, grabbing a few more, feeding her some before eating one himself.

Scarlett sighed, dipping her potato into some ketchup. "I miss gravy," she frowned. The gravy had been chucked into the garbage since apparently its smell had also begun to affect her. "I really hope I get over this, soon…" she pouted, drinking some more of the tea Spencer had made for her. She looked down at the cup, thinking about how thoughtful he was being and gave him a side long glance. Her heart stuttered slightly when she caught his eyes.

"What?" he asked, turning to look over at her more fully, wondering what was putting that strange look on her face.

"Nothing," she shook her head. "Everything…" she said, biting on her bottom lip.

Spencer cocked his head slightly and grinned at her. She felt her breath catch in her throat.

"Well, that did it…" she huffed, setting her food back onto the coffee table and wiping her hands off on her napkin.

He looked confused for a moment, until she climbed over him, placing her knees on the couch on each side of his thighs and straddled his lap. He moved his hands to her hips and trailed his fingers lightly over the small of her back as his grin widened.

"What did it?" he asked, seeing the lust in her eyes. "So I can remember to keep doing it," Reid teased, reaching up to nip at her collar bone.

"At the moment, it's your silly grin," she told him, tracing his lips softly with her finger tip. She watched his smile deepen the lines at the corners of his eyes and ran her finger there also.

"You give me lots of reasons to smile, Katy," he told her, capturing her hand in his and kissing it.

Scarlett leaned closer, pressing her lips against the corner of his mouth. "I love your smile," she told him, watching his eyes.

"I love your eyes," she said, her voice dropping, taking on a huskier tone. "I love your chin," she nipped lightly at his jaw.

"And your throat…" she admitted, biting him lightly. He groaned and moved against her.

Reid felt himself harden just from the tone in her voice. Scarlett grinned wickedly as she felt him press against her. She flipped open the first few buttons of his shirt and trailed light kisses along his collar bone.

"I love this spot…" she ran her tongue along the hollow under his adam's apple and felt him swallow hard.

"Scarlett…" he sucked in a breath when she unbuttoned more of his shirt, pushing it aside and ran her tongue over his nipples. She moved lower as she heard his heart beating rapidly in his chest.

"Spencer…" she repeated his name back to him. He closed his eyes and arched against her when she ran her hand up his thigh, unbuckling his belt.

His breathing changed, hitching slightly, as she began stroking him. She watched his face, taking in each nuance as she pleasured him.

When he felt her sliding off his lap to the floor, he grabbed her elbows to stall her.

"Umm, no…" he squeaked as her lips brushed against the tip of his erection. He arched again and hissed out a breath. "Mercy," he told her. "I can't…"

"Can't?" she asked with a grin. "Can't what?" She flicked her tongue against him, making him crazy.

Spencer felt a growl roll low in his chest. He clenched his jaw tight, fighting against the arousal. Scarlett felt his hands move to her hips as he pulled her back up onto his lap.

Reid pulled her closer, covering her mouth with his…

"Just mercy," he breathed out in a rush, tugging her shirt lower to expose her breasts. "I want to see you…"

He removed her shorts off of her hips, pulling her back up onto his waist.

"I want to feel your skin against mine," he breathed out as she leaned forward and caught his lips in hers. Scarlett rubbed against him, enjoying the sensation as his fingers trailed lightly over her back.

"You're not naked," she pouted, pulling his shirt off over his shoulders and tossing it away as if it irritated her. She eyed up his shorts.

"Uh-huh… not yet," he grinned, moving her onto her back on the couch. He ran his hands up along the inside of her thighs, stroking her. "I want to watch you come," he whispered, feathering kisses against her cheeks.

Scarlett arched against his hand as his words teased her, making her hotter. She closed her eyes and felt him nudge her with his chin.

"Keep your eyes open, Katy…" he asked, his voice lowering. He kept his hazel eyes locked on her green ones as the passion settled there and a blush began to stain over her chest. When she cried out, he covered her mouth with his, catching the sounds and muting them.

Laying her head back, feeling relaxed and sated, Scarlett stretched out underneath him. She felt him strip out of his own shorts…

"My turn," he teased, leaning over her and entering her. Her hips bucked involuntarily as he moved, reigniting the fire he'd just dampened.

"Ah, God…" Scarlett linked her ankles behind his hips and moved with him, unable to control her response.

"Come with me," he demanded, his voice tightly controlled as he took her back to that precipice once again. Spencer held himself in check, waiting for her to catch up… when her body contracted against him, he allowed himself to follow her over the edge.

Scarlett dragged a breath through her nose, burying her face against his hair. His scent enveloped her and she sighed as he lay heavily on her chest.

"Am I squashing you?" he asked, hearing her breathe deeply but unable to move for the moment. He heard her husky laughter under his ear and it sent a shiver over his spine. "God, I love that sound…"

"Mmm," she kissed his hair lightly. "I'm not squashed, boy…" she grinned. "I am perfectly content, and enjoying your smell…" she teased. "So don't you dare move…"

"Wouldn't dream of it," he agreed, snuggling closer to her. He felt Scarlett brush some of his hair back off of his forehead.

"I'm going to get a haircut before the doctor appointment tomorrow…" he mumbled against her skin as his wild curls fell forward once again.

"Mmm-hmm," Scarlett kissed his head lightly, still running her fingers through his locks. "Not too short, boy," she teased. "I like playing with your hair…"

He chuckled softly. "I'll warn the barber that he'll have to deal with you if he hacks it too close."

Scarlett giggled and pulled his hair lightly, tugging his head back so she could reach his lips.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

 _The next few chapters will touch into the Criminal Minds episode "Tabula Rasa". Any scenes directly related to the episode are not mine and are the exclusive rights and property of the CM writers. I've used the storyline as a backdrop and made changes needed to fit in my character._

Scarlett looked up from her computer as Reid entered the office later than expected. She cocked a brow at the look on his face. Scanning him quickly, she noted the new cut to his hair but also the tenseness in his features.

"What's wrong, farm boy?" she asked, concern lighting her eyes.

"Uh- do you have a minute?" he met her gaze, nodding towards the door.

"Yeah, sure…" she locked her screen and followed him away from the bullpen into a conference room. Once they were behind the closed door, she turned to him.

"Is there a problem?" she looked him over again, wondering what could have happened since they separated this morning that would cause him to be so apprehensive.

"Hotch called me earlier…" he stated, running his hand nervously through his now much shorter hair. "He needs me to go with him for a trial… uh, from a case that'd been postponed for quite a while. Do you remember reading the files about the Blue Ridge Strangler case?" he asked.

Scarlett thought about it a moment, running case files in her head. "Yes… Brian Matloff… the case was about four years ago? It's just coming to a trial now?" she responded, surprised.

"Right, uh, Matloff ran before being caught. He fell from the roof of his building and was in a coma- he's just finally come out of it. But he has retrograde amnesia. Since I was a part of the original case that caught him and I have some medical knowledge of amnesia, Hotch wants me to go along with him, to observe Matloff, specifically…" he blew out a stressed breath.

"Oh," Scarlett wrinkled her nose a bit, chewing on her lip. "How far?" she asked, getting the jist of what was upsetting him. He had to leave her behind…

Spencer rolled his eyes. "It's only a few hours away in Roanoke. But with the case being aged due to the setback of the amnesia and the fact we just found out the key witness has died in the meantime… Hotch figures we'll be putting in time after hours with the DA… so we'll be getting a hotel to stay in," he scowled.

"I see…" Scarlett reached for his hand as he nervously ticked his fingers against his palm. He stopped when he noticed what he'd been doing and squeezed her hand instead.

"Sor-…" he closed his mouth tightly against the apology. Pressing his lips together into a line, he licked them and tried again.

"I don't want to leave," he pouted, squinting down at her. "I know you'll be fine…" he clarified before she misunderstood. "It's not that… but I can't help it that I'll worry or that I don't want to leave. I want to be with you… I don't want to be alone, without you…" he huffed out, trying to justify his feelings.

"I get it, Spence," she said softly, threading her fingers through his. "I'd rather not be separated either. But we both know this is going to happen on occasion," she moved a little closer to his side and rubbed his arm. "We are lucky that it doesn't happen more often," she reminded him.

Spencer nodded, looking down at his feet, scuffing his shoe across the carpet.

"When do you have to leave?" she asked.

"Tomorrow morning," he complained, wanting to put it off into the future. The far distant future…

"Hotch wanted to leave today, but I told him I wanted to go with you to the doctor this afternoon. I offered to drive up to meet him tomorrow on my own, but he said that tomorrow morning was good enough to get a start on reviewing everything. The trial is scheduled for Monday," he added his voice speeding up as he rushed out the information. Spencer stopped speaking at once, cutting off his tirade with a quick shrug. He met her eyes only briefly as he said the next thought on his mind.

"Come with me," he mentioned to her, already knowing her answer. He felt her grip tighten on his fingers.

"I'm not needed at the trial, Reid," she warned him, hearing the plea in his tone. "It would look self-serving… and inappropriate…"

Spencer rolled his eyes again, this time at himself for sounding needy. "I know- I just, had to ask…" he sighed in agreement, finally meeting her gaze and holding it.

Scarlett nodded, looking around quickly to make sure nobody was noticing them and reached up to kiss him quickly.

"Mama and Norie are coming tomorrow…" she told him. "I couldn't leave them. That should ease some of your worry," she said teasingly. "Mama will be watching over me like a hawk as soon as she hears about the baby," she grinned, knowing some of his concern stemmed from wanting to care for her. She frowned a bit when she thought of something else.

"Do you want me to wait to tell them, until you are home?" she asked; upset now thinking that he'd miss Norie's reaction to becoming a big sister.

"I can link up on Skype when you tell them," he reassured her. "I know it's not the same, but I don't know how long this will take, and I want you to be able to tell your mom in person," he kissed her forehead.

"Okay," she still pouted slightly, not totally happy with that solution, but accepting it for what it was... a necessary part of the job would always be that they had to make modifications to their lives for these sorts of things.

"Cooper will be here on Monday, too," she added, rethinking all that they had planned for the upcoming week. "We were supposed to show him around…" she caught Spencer's eyes.

"Norie will have to play chaperone," Reid teased her. "She'll report back to me if he does anything inappropriate," he grinned, knowing that with Norie's memory being in line with Scarlett's, she'd never miss a detail.

Scarlett shook her head. "Oh, so you mean everything…" she laughed, knowing Cooper's tendencies for pushing Spencer's jealous button.

"Pretty much," he shrugged, rocking back on his heels and giving her a slight smile. "I can't help it if I get jealous," he admitted.

"Uh-huh," Scarlett stood on her toes and kissed his lips. "And Cooper can't help but feed into it, because he knows it gets you amped up. He likes to annoy people, Spence, especially if he likes the person. It's part of his charm…"

"Yeah, well… does it make me a bad person if I wish he didn't 'like' me quite so frigging much?" he groused. She laughed at his scowl.

"No," she tucked her hand into the waistband of his pants, pulling him against her. "But I appreciate you putting up with his teasing…"

Spencer shrugged. "I try to ignore it most times, because I know he's trying to get me going. But he makes it difficult, especially if he touches you," he frowned. Scarlett saw the blush heating his neck and ran her hands up his arms. Spencer wrapped her into his embrace, leaning his forehead down to meet hers.

"Hmm. My sweet jealous farm boy," she grinned as she looked up into his eyes. "You are the only one who really touches me…"

Spencer growled lowly in his throat, pulling her closer for a quick but anxious kiss. She could feel the need behind the desperation and didn't pull away, despite their being at the office.

He pulled back first, keeping her eyes locked to his.

"I miss you already, Katy," he complained, a sudden sadness in his eyes.

"I know, lover…" she sighed. "I miss you too…"

He looked around the conference room, then over at the clock. "We have a little while before the appointment. Let's take off the rest of the day, use some personal time…" he stated. "I want to spend the day with you," he told her. "I'm not ready to miss you yet…"

"Okay," she agreed, giving his hand a quick squeeze. "I'll tell Rossi I'm blowing off the day for the appointment and that I'll be in tomorrow morning."

Spencer nodded and sighed in relief. "I'll call Hotch and tell him I'll see him first thing tomorrow, too."

He pulled out his phone, taking her hand as they headed back to their desks. "Scarlett?" she turned at the sound of his voice softly calling her name.

"Thanks," he told her, watching her grab her purse from a drawer and shut down her computer.

"Anytime, farm boy," she grinned, moving past him to go talk to Rossi. "You don't have to convince me to take a day off to spend with you, sweetie," she teased, poking him in the ribs as she walked. "I'm more than happy to oblige…"

Spencer grinned, watching her walk up to Dave's office. He printed off some hard copies of the case files on the computer to take with him tomorrow for review. Stuffing them into his satchel, he threw it across his shoulder as Scarlett rejoined him.

"All clear," she told him, taking his hand as they left the office. "I'm all yours…"


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Spencer paced through the waiting room, scanning the magazines on the table top. Pictures of chubby baby faces smiled up from every cover and he picked one up at random, reading through the articles cover to cover within a minute. He chose another as he began to pace again. Scarlett noticed him read through it quickly then pick up yet another.

"Spencer," she called his name softly, bringing his attention to her. She saw him skirt around one rambunctious toddler that was running his toy cars around the floor of the office as he moved over to her side.

"What?" he asked, looking down to where she sat. She tugged his hand lightly, drawing him to the seat beside her.

"Sit," she grinned, leaning closer to him. "You're making people nervous pacing like that and tossing magazines…"

He ran his ran through his hair, blowing out a tense breath. "Those are almost all ads… and _I'm_ nervous," he admitted.

"About what?" she asked. "We know everything is okay…" she reminded him. "Dr. Davidson sent all the bloodwork and the ultrasounds ahead- the tests came back fine… This is just a preliminary visit, sweetheart, so the doctor can start a file. No worries…"

"I know," he shrugged, keeping his hand in hers, holding it tightly. "They'll probably repeat the urine test, take a weight and blood pressure, for their own records. Maybe use the Doppler to hear the heartbeat…" he ran a list in his head of everything he'd read about the initial appointment. "They may suggest an amniocentesis for genetic abnormalities…" Scarlett picked up on his nervous shrug.

"I won't go for that…" she told him, seeing his eyes widen at her. She dropped her voice slightly, not wanting any of the other patients to overhear her comments.

"An amnio increases a chance of a miscarriage. I won't do it," she shook her head at him. "Not so the doctors can see something where they can only offer an abortion as a solution. I won't do it Spencer. I won't judge someone else for their choices, but I won't have an abortion. If the baby has any birth defects, then I will handle it, do whatever I can to raise it to have the fullest life it can have…" she told him.

Spencer reached over and took her hand. "Scarlett, do me a favor…" he asked, twisting her rings against her fingers.

"What?"

"Stop saying 'I'…" he said, looking into her eyes only momentarily but she read the hurt in his gaze.

"You keep saying 'I'll' handle it or 'I' will deal with things as they come… but it's _we_ \- for everything, but especially with the baby… It's 'we' will handle it. I'm not going anywhere…" he frowned, still toying with her rings nervously instead of meeting her eyes.

"Oh…" _Crap_ … she nudged him so he'd look back up and meet her eyes.

"I didn't realize I was doing that to you, boy… making you feel left out of the decisions… I'm sorry…" she lifted his hand to her lips and kissed his knuckles lightly. Spencer blushed, looking around to make sure no one had noticed.

He shook his head quickly. "Don't apologize," he told her. "Just- try thinking differently. I understand it's not something you are used to but you aren't alone anymore…"

"Right, okay…" she huffed out a nervous breath. "Do you disagree with anything I said?" she asked, wondering if he had any objections, what she would do about it…

"No, not really," he lowered his voice to just above a whisper. "Unless the doctor needs the tests for something that can be corrected," he told her.

"If something like that happens, we will deal with it, together, then…" he said, keeping his eyes on hers.

"Mrs. Reid?" a nurse came through the door, calling out into the waiting room.

Scarlett stood up, taking Spencer's hand. "Together, then," she smiled up at him, walking with him into the back offices.

"Hello," the nurse shook both of their hands, introducing herself. "I'm Tina, the OB nurse on staff here. I'll probably be the face you see the most of during your early visits," she smiled at them. "We'll get some information before the doctor comes in to talk to you…"

The woman sat down at the computer in the corner and started making notes as she rattled off questions for Scarlett about how she was feeling, her job, her health, etcetera- all while she took Scarlett's height, weight, blood pressure and temperature.

Spencer noticed that Scarlett started becoming more and more agitated with the questions and he caught her hand as she bit nervously on her thumb. He cocked his brow at her looking from her finger to her mouth, asking what was bothering her so badly. He thought the questions to be quite typical to mundane, even…

"And how about any genetic disorders that run in your family?" the nurse continued, not noticing the exchange behind her back. "Any history of pre-eclampsia, diabetes or complications in pregnancy? Any family history of heart disease or cancer, spinal bifida or any other birth defects?"

Scarlett's eyes rounded and she met Spencer's gaze. _That_ … she mouthed the word to him, letting him realize it had just occurred to her that she didn't have any answers about her family's medical history… her face reddened in a blush.

 _Oh_ … Reid squeezed her hand, keeping his eyes on hers. _It's okay_ , he mouthed back and looked over at the nurse when she turned to them at their silence.

"Uh, my wife lost her biological mother in a car accident when she was just six," Spencer said softly, asking the nurse to be understanding. "She doesn't have that information… but we can probably get it…" he looked back at Scarlett. "Penny can pull any medical records on file…" he reminded her gently.

"I guess I should have thought of having her look before," Scarlett shrugged nervously, now worrying about what may be hidden in her bloodline.

"And your biological father?" the woman asked carefully.

Scarlett's eyes went dark. "When he died he had pancreatic cancer- he was an alcoholic…" and an abuser, a pedophile, a psychopath… her mind whispered to her.

Spencer saw the change in her eyes. "Scarlett…" he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. _Stay with me_ … his look begged hers. He saw her swallow deeply against the bile rising in her throat as she shook her head weakly.

The nurse noticed and stepped up to Scarlett. "These are only routine questions, sweetie. Odds are that none of it will even matter. If you find a medical history on your mother that could possibly carry over to your pregnancy, you let us know, okay?" she closed out her computer screen and turned to leave the room.

"The doctor will be in to see you shortly," she told them, trading a look with Reid to let him know she understood that something was upsetting Scarlett. The nurse closed the door, giving them some privacy.

Spencer dropped to one knee in front of Scarlett, immediately looking up into her eyes.

"Katy," he nudged her gently, seeing a faraway look in her gaze. "Scarlett… talk to me…"

"I can't," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I can't do this… Why did I think I could do this?" she asked in a trembling tone.

"Do what Katy?" he saw her eyes look towards the door. "No… Scarlett. You don't want to do that. Not here, not now…" he warned her, seeing she was considering running.

"Pull it back in, darling. Come on," Reid moved closer, pressing his cheek against hers and whispering in her ear.

"You are the strongest woman I know, Katy Scarlett. You are stronger than the demons that chase you. Fight them back now, put a leash on them…"

Scarlett breathed in Spencer's scent, listening to his voice and letting it fill her head. He could feel her breathing in deeply, reining back in her own mind.

"Spencer," she stuttered out his name on a sigh, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Jesus… I'm so scared…" she shook slightly in his arms.

"I know baby…" he rocked her gently, kissing her temple. "It's okay. I've got you…"

"But… what if…" she sniffled as he interrupted her.

"No 'what ifs' Katy," he said, taking out his handkerchief. "We aren't doing the 'what if' game with my genetic line or yours- remember?" he asked her, wiping away the tears on her cheeks.

"Now I am worrying though Spence. I can't help it. I didn't even consider my father's genetics… You know what he was! If any of that passes through me…" she felt her breath hitch on a strangled sob…

"Katy," Spencer took her shoulders firmly in his hands and gave her a little shake. "Listen to me…" he watched her eyes, making sure she was staying with him and not lost in her memories.

"Think of Norie, darling," he reminded her gently. "You love your sister, our daughter, very much- don't you?" he asked her.

Scarlett sucked in shallow breath and only nodded.

"And she's a closer blood tie to your father than our baby will be… right?"

She nodded again, watching his eyes and seeing the truth of what he was telling her.

"R-Right," she stammered out unevenly. "She's the only good thing to come from him…"

Spencer shook his head. "That's not true, Scarlett. You came from him too, and you are good. Genetics be damned, Katy- we become who we are not only because of bloodlines, but through the product of our environments and who raises us. You are who you are because of Frannie more than because of your father's DNA… and Norie's life was shaped by her mother, and now you and me and Frannie… And our baby will be the best that he or she can be, because that's how we will raise them. Your father won't touch what we've made together…" he told her, kissing her forehead.

Scarlett wrapped her fingers around his wrists, holding them as he gently stroked her cheeks with his thumbs.

"Ah, God… when you tell me things like that Spencer, I can't help but believe," she sighed, kissing his lips lightly. "Thank you…" she breathed out.

"For what?" he asked, kissing her again, needing the contact.

"Mmm. For letting me borrow your strength when I can't find mine," she closed her eyes, leaning her forehead to his.

"Anytime, my beautiful crazy girl…" he kissed the tip of her nose lightly. "I love you…"

"As I love you," Scarlett repeated, rubbing her nose against his. She heard the soft knock on the door announcing the doctor's arrival and pulled back a little, her fingers locked into Spencer's. She felt him press three fingers into her palm, keeping his hand in hers.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Scarlett sat quietly in the passenger's seat for the drive home. She opened her purse to grab a lollipop, unwrapping it and popping the candy in her cheek, in lieu of the cigarette she so desperately craved. Spencer noticed the action and reached for her hand.

"You okay?" he asked. Scarlett looked down at the picture of the newest ultrasound that the doctor had ordered. The obstetrician had wanted her own tech's work instead of the ones supplied by the ER doctor in Oklahoma. For good reason, it turned out.

"I can't believe they were off by that much," Scarlett shook her head in disbelief. "I mean, I knew it was difficult to gauge a due date, with everything being messed up with the shots… but a full month? Spence… we lost a month to prepare…" she bit down tightly on the candy, cracking it between her teeth. "Our smudge is a gummy bear…" she said, staring at the picture in wonder.

Spencer gave her a sidelong glance. "So instead of a Thanksgiving baby, we are having a Halloween baby," he teased her slightly, running his thumb over her knuckles. "It's kind of fitting," he offered with a grin.

"Besides, since when have you changed over to the plan ahead camp? I thought you left the long range planning to me?" he asked. Scarlett rolled her eyes.

"Ever since I've started thinking about how we are adding a new life into our little family," she bumped his shoulder with hers. "I'm allowed to change my mind," she groused.

"Like, where are we going to fit a nursery? We've got four months left to make room for the baby… And if we have to move in my third trimester, I'll go insane," she warned him.

Spencer bit the inside of his cheek. "Well, I was sort of thinking about that…" he looked over at her. "Babies grow so much in the first few months… I was thinking of having a bassinet in our room. It'd fit fine over at the wall by the window seat…"

"And then once it's time for their own room, we could either fit the crib in Norie's room or do something with the office," he shrugged.

Scarlett arched a brow at him as they pulled into their building's parking lot. "You've been thinking?" she grinned.

"I'm the planner…" he teased. "You know I've got ideas mapped out…"

"God help me," she giggled. Spencer moved around the car, opening her door for her and taking her hand. When they got to the base of the stairs leading to the front door, she looked up at him.

"I love living here. I like the building, the area, the neighbors…" she sighed. "Eventually we will need someplace bigger, though."

"Eventually," he agreed with a shrug. "But not now…" Scarlett poked him lightly.

"You probably have a plan for that too…"

"A few," he agreed, kissing her hair as she entered the door ahead of him. Once they got into their apartment, Scarlett headed right into the bedroom, standing before the spot he'd mentioned.

Spencer followed her, wrapping her into his arms and pulling her back against his chest. She studied the area, chewing on her thumb.

"Can you see it?" he asked her, pulling her fingers away from her mouth. "The wall juts back enough to offset it a bit. We can even paint the corner if you'd want; something relaxing… it's enough room to put a whole crib, if you'd rather, and a rocking chair…"

Scarlett closed her eyes, seeing it all clearly in her head as he described it. She sighed, leaning her head back against his chest. "I love rocking chairs," she told him. "And it looks perfect," she opened her eyes to meet his, and he saw her gaze clear as her mind refocused on the present.

Reid grinned down at her, kissing her lips softly. "Good," he squeezed her hip. "Then we'll find a rocker and a crib or bassinet, whichever and we'll get it set up in no time…"

"Mmm-hmm… I want to go shopping as soon as you get back from the trial," she told him. "Maybe I can talk my mom into staying until then, if you aren't gone too long," she scowled slightly.

"I'm hoping less than a week," he told her, his own frown moving between his brows. Scarlett reached up and touched two fingers to the wrinkles there.

"It'll take as long as it takes," she reminded him. "And we will survive…"

"I'll be miserable, but I'll survive…" he corrected her and nipped at her lips.

"Well, Mr. Miserable- we still have the rest of the day and tonight together… so what do you want to do first… me or me?" she giggled.

Spencer laughed, pulling her against his hips and kissing her grin. "How about 'yes' on all counts," he scooped her up and carried her over to the bed, dropping her onto it. He knelt over her, pushing her back against the pillows.

Scarlett reached up, running her fingers over the top of his hair, then back to the short shaved area over his ears and neck.

"It's a bit shorter than I'd wanted," Spencer said, feeling her fingers trip lightly over his scalp. "It feels weird…"

"You just have to get used to it," she told him, brushing her knuckle across some gray at his temple that she'd never noticed before. "And by the time you do, it'll be growing in already."

"Probably," he agreed, stealing a kiss from her lips.

"I'm sure it's cooler," she teased, tugging lightly at one wave that fell from the top of his head.

"A bit," he stated, completely uninterested in his hair as she moved under him, her hips pressing against his intimately. Spencer started nibbling at her neck, tracing the collar bone with his lips and moving to the valley between her breasts at the vee of her t-shirt.

"Hmm. Maybe I should get mine cut," she suggested, giggling when that brought his head up to meet her eyes with a scowl.

"No…" he complained, pulling her curls over her shoulders and spreading them out. Scarlett raised her brows at his huff.

"You're sure?" she joked. "Because I was thinking of maybe going with a pixie cut for the summer…"

Spencer saw her nose wrinkle as she teased him, and bit her neck. "Leave your hair alone," he pouted, playing along with her and twisting a curl around his fingers. "Your curls are mine," he said as he nipped her shoulder.

"Ah, from Mr. Miserable to Mr. Possessive in the quick blink of an eye," she laughed, tugging her hair from his fingers. She sang a tune softly as it came into her head.

"Don't play with me, cuz you're playing with fire…" she smirked at him.

"Rolling Stones, 1965…" he rattled off, picking up another strand and bringing it to his lips.

"Yep, that's it. You are getting too good at this game…" she scooted over on the bed, making room for him to move closer.

"I'd gladly burn…" he told her, his voice turning a bit more serious as he dropped his lips across hers.

Scarlett rose up on her arm to look down over him. She trailed a finger from his neck and down his chest, unbuttoning his shirt as she did.

"Don't tempt me boy," her voice turning husky with passion. "I'm only too happy to watch you turn to ash for me," she told him, her lips turning up in an evil grin.

Reid arched towards her touch as she ran her fingers across his hip bones, and over the light hair beneath his navel.

Moving over his body, she stripped him, settling back in her original position to continue tempting him with just her hands and some light kisses, avoiding touching the more common erogenous zones. She gave a husky laugh when he arched towards her hand as she drew her finger down the inside of his thigh.

"Burning yet, farm boy?" she asked, tickling him lightly behind his knee. When he only stuttered out a whimpered cry, she kissed his thigh.

"You could kill me now and I would die happy…" he muttered, trying to pull her up to meet his lips.

Scarlett nipped lightly, only skimming his mouth and pulled away to continue her torment.

"No, I won't kill you," she teased. "I'm not done with you yet…"

Spencer threw his head back against the pillow, threading his fingers into her hair and gave into the sensations she was drawing out of his body.

"Katy…" he panted out her name, pulling her down over his body and rubbing against her. "Please…"

Her husky chuckle sent a fissure down his spine.

"Please what, sweet boy?" she asked, moving over him. She gently trailed her finger across his lips and he kissed it, pulling it into his mouth and sucking on it lightly. His hips arched against her core and she could feel his need pulsing against her.

"Please, put the fire out," he groaned, rubbing against her again. "I need you- I want to be inside you…" he begged, tugging at the waistband of her pants.

Scarlett grinned down at him as she removed her clothes. "But you beg so sweetly, I kind of like it…" she teased him, rubbing against him but backing away when he tried to enter her. A strangled cry caught in his throat and she caught the sound with her mouth.

Reid flipped their positions, pinning her to the bed beneath him. "Then I'll beg," he told her, locking his forearms under her knees bringing her closer to him. He kissed her jaw lightly, moving his lips over hers…

"Please, please, please… Mercy… I'm begging…" he pleaded, as a teasing light moved in his eyes.

Scarlett laughed at his antics, seeing the smile curving his lips. She pulled him against her, feeling him complete her as she arched against him. Spencer let out a low growl as he buried himself inside her.

"I told you I'd burn you," she said as she nipped his jaw. He moved slowly, pacing himself.

"I'm happy to burn," he repeated. "As long as you promise to put the fire out…"

Scarlett pulled him deeper, wrapping her legs around his hips. "Always, pretty boy," she told him, feeling the tension building between them.

Spencer felt the release hit him, pulling Scarlett closer, holding her against his chest. She heard the tattoo of his heart pound strong under her ear, listening to the sound as it slowed back to normal…

She adjusted herself under him slightly, shifting him to her side so she could look into his face.

"I love you, sweet boy," she whispered, trailing a finger lightly over his cheekbone, watching as he drifted off into a contented nap. She grinned as he turned into her neck and pulled her closer to lie beside him.

"As I love you, my crazy girl," he mumbled, kissing her throat.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Spencer watched from the kitchen as Scarlett chose some more albums to place onto the record player. He heard the familiar sounds of Bob Dylan fill the apartment as she moved through the living area, straightening up while he cooked them a quick dinner.

Scarlett made her way back to the kitchen, hopping up on the countertop to watch him cook.

"The smells aren't bothering you?" he asked, taking a forkful of the Alfredo noodles and blowing across them to cool them off. He offered the food to her lips.

"Mmm- no not so much…" she chewed thoughtfully. "Thank God. I think the tea is working…" she sighed happily. "I wouldn't want to push it- but so far, so good…" she grinned.

Reid wiped a bit of the cheese sauce from the corner of her mouth. She took his thumb with a quick smile and licked it.

"I have an idea for the leftover sauce," she said evilly.

Spencer's imagination went into overdrive, finishing with the thoughts of trying to scrub the gooey mess off of sensitive areas... his face took on a horrified look and Scarlett laughed.

"No." he told her, shaking his head, dropping a kiss to her wrinkled nose.

"Ahh, spoilsport," she called him, jumping down from the counter to set the table.

Spencer transferred the food to plates and sat next to her as they ate. He linked his leg through hers, and Scarlett lifted her knees over his as he sat down. She saw him smile softly.

"What's got that sweet grin on your face, farm boy?" she asked.

Reid shrugged a little, meeting her eyes. "I was just thinking how much I like touching you," he explained. Scarlett lifted a brow.

"Yeah, that too," he laughed. "But, I was talking about this…" he said, reaching under the table to squeeze her knee. "I like that we are always touching each other," he explained, blushing slightly.

Scarlett scooted closer, swinging her legs against his lap. "I like it too, pretty boy. I like having you close and feeling comfortable with it," she told him, taking his hand also. She ran her fingers over his, continuing to touch him while they finished their dinner.

He threaded his fingers through hers, and looked down at their hands. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself when you aren't with me," he admitted quietly.

Rubbing his fingers gently, Scarlett nodded, understanding where the melancholy was coming from.

"I know… the thought crossed my mind too, boy…" she shrugged one shoulder and sighed. "We'll just have to deal. Right?"

"Yeah…" he sighed, moving from her side to start clearing the table. Scarlett took the plates, putting them into the sink to soak, then tugged on his hand to pull him away from the chores.

"Screw it…" she told him, dragging him behind her to the living room. "They can wait. I want to dance with my husband…"

Scarlett moved into his embrace, feeling Spencer wrap his arms around her shoulders, keeping her tucked against him.

He dropped a kiss to the crown of her head, breathing in her scent as they moved together to the music of Dylan's 'Love Minus Zero'…

 _My love she speaks like silence  
Without ideals or violence  
She doesn't have to say she's faithful  
Yet she's true, like ice, like fire  
People carry roses  
And make promises by the hours  
My love she laughs like the flowers  
Valentines can't buy her._

 _In the dime stores and bus stations_  
 _People talk of situations_  
 _Read books, repeat quotations_  
 _Draw conclusions on the wall_  
 _Some speak of the future_  
 _My love she speaks softly_  
 _She knows there's no success like failure_  
 _And that failure's no success at all._

 _The cloak and dagger dangles_  
 _Madams light the candles_  
 _In ceremonies of the horsemen_  
 _Even the pawn must hold a grudge_  
 _Statues made of match sticks_  
 _Crumble into one another_  
 _My love winks, she does not bother_  
 _She knows too much to argue or to judge._

 _The bridge at midnight trembles_  
 _The country doctor rambles_  
 _Bankers' nieces seek perfection_  
 _Expecting all the gifts that wise men bring_  
 _The wind howls like a hammer_  
 _The night blows rainy_  
 _My love she's like some raven_  
 _At my window with a broken wing_

The record player dropped the next album in place and Scarlett put the needle to play John Lennon's 'Beautiful Boy'. She lifted her hands to trace the sides of Spencer's cheeks as they danced and he rolled his eyes as she sang the song to him.

"Stop…" he blushed, pulling her closer as he danced her in a small circle, turning her under his arms and out into a spin.

" _Before you cross the street, take my hand… Life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans_ …" she sang as she returned to his arms.

Spencer shook his head as he blushed harder and reached down to kiss her lips.

" _Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful… Beautiful boy_ …" she continued, her grin and husky chuckle starting to burn his blood.

"Ugh…" he tucked her close again. "You are crazy…" he laughed.

" _Darlin', darlin', darlin', darlin' boy_ …" she teased, threading her fingers behind his neck to pull his face down to hers. She kissed him as the song ended, feeling his hands reach down to her ass, pulling her closer against his hips. She felt his arousal press against her stomach and gave him a sexy grin.

Reid went over to the record player, flipping the needle back to play more John Lennon songs off this album.

"Nice pick…" Scarlett tilted her head as 'Jealous Guy' played. She laughed as she danced with him some more and he tried whistling along with the song.

"I want you," he whispered against her neck, nipping along her throat.

"Mmm. Take me, sweet boy…" she responded, unbuttoning his shorts, dropping his clothes off his narrow hips. She unbuttoned his shirt, running her hands over his chest. He grinned as he kicked his shorts away from his feet and stripped her also.

Spencer picked her up off her feet, waiting for her to lock her feet behind his hips. He nuzzled her ear lightly.

"I like naked dancing," he chuckled, adjusting his grip on her so he could hold her as he slid inside her.

"I do too. I don't know if you could consider it dancing exactly from my position, though…" she grinned, brushing kisses to his collarbone. She wrapped her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his hair as they moved together slowly to the music that played in the background. She felt his lips move across her jawline, leaving a trail of light kisses before returning to her mouth.

"Hang on to me boy…" she warned him, a devilish smile lighting her eyes.

"What? Why…" his voice cut off in his throat on a strangled gasp when she tightened her legs around his hips but released his neck, arching herself back into a bridge until she hung upside down.

"Holy God…" Spencer felt his breathing speed up at the erotic view he had from this position.

Scarlett laughed, pulling herself slightly upright with her muscles to catch the look on his face.

"Don't drop me," she warned on a giggle.

"I- just… no…" he adjusted his position. "Killing me. You're trying to kill me dead…"

"Yes, it's quite fun," she teased, dropping back onto her hands and hitching her feet behind his shoulders.

"Okay… nope- gotta take a knee…" he bent quickly, catching her hips again as he knelt to the floor before her.

"You wouldn't have dropped me," she laughed. "I was holding myself…"

"I was dropping me," he breathed, laughing along with her. "My legs wouldn't hold me any more…"

Scarlett reached up to link her hands behind his neck pulling him over her. "Then come down here with me, boy…"

Spencer felt his heart hammering in his chest as he moved over her once again. He skimmed his hands lightly over her body, looking her over.

"You are so incredibly beautiful…" he breathed out, watching his hands as they ran over her skin. She arched under his soft touch, enjoying the attention.

"Mmm- I'm certainly glad you think so, farm boy…" her muscles jumped in a twitch when he ran his hands along her side, tickling her.

"Don't…" she warned him on a giggle when she saw the teasing light in his eyes. "Reid…"

Spencer tickled her again, laughing when she squirmed to get away.

"No you don't," he told her, hitching her back against him, refusing to release her as he trailed soft kisses over her ribs making her laugh harder.

"Okay, okay, mercy…" she huffed out on a giggle. "Don't make me tickle you back…" she said as she pinched his abdomen just above his hips. Spencer jerked away from her fingers.

"Alright," he agreed, "No more tickling…"

"I'll grab your feet when you sleep, Reid…" she warned him when he made one last swipe at her ribs. He nuzzled her neck lightly, rocking himself against her, completing them again.

Scarlett hitched her leg behind him, pressing closer, riding the orgasm that started to uncoil low in her belly.

"Spence…" she pulled his mouth to hers, stealing a kiss from his lips as she came.

He closed his eyes, shutting out everything except the feelings she was drawing out of his body. He felt her tense around him and caught her lips in another kiss. He heard his name on her lips and his body trembled, falling behind hers…

Spencer lay in bed later that night, unable to sleep. Instead he watched Scarlett, memorizing every detail of her as she slept soundly, curled up against his side. He heard her sigh and when her lips parted slightly; he couldn't resist stealing a kiss. Carefully so not to wake her, he stole her breath with the sound.

She snuggled closer to his shoulder, turning her face against his skin and kissed him in her sleep. He felt his heart flip in his chest with the innocent gesture. He brushed some of her hair off her face so he could continue watching her unobstructed.

Scarlett felt his eyes on her somewhere in her subconscious mind. She cracked her eye open just slightly, seeing Spencer's face before hers, sharing her pillow.

"Are you going to sleep at all farm boy, or stare at me all night?" she mumbled sleepily.

"Sorry…" he shifted beside her, biting his lips together because of the mandated ban on apologies. "I mean, yeah… I'm going to stare at you all night," he told her softly.

"I didn't want to wake you up, though…" his nose wrinkled in a slight scowl. Scarlett reached up to touch the lines between his brows.

"Mmm, no matter… I'd rather stare back into your eyes any time, lover…" she told him, reaching for his lips dreamily.

Spencer groaned as he took her mouth under his again, this time not holding back to kiss her lightly. He took her face in his hands and feasted on her lips. Scarlett felt the desperation there, knowing that separation anxiety was starting to fuel it and allowed him to take his fill.

When he pulled back a bit to breathe, she traced his swollen lips with the pad of her thumb.

"Spence…" she called his name softly, not knowing how to reassure him further.

"I know, I know…" he huffed slightly, aggravated by his own neediness. "We won't be away long…" he promised to himself more than her. He lay his hand possessively across the now more noticeable bump between her hips.

"You can't expect me to be happy about it…" he groused, lightly tracing circles over her stomach. His eyes closed as he sighed.

"Sweet boy," Scarlett reached up and brushed some of his longer strands of hair from his forehead. "I know you aren't happy about leaving. I'm not either. It's just a necessary evil… which we will survive. Right?" she asked as she moved closer to kiss his lips again.

" _Often at length, my wench depart, I bid, She in my lap sits still as earst she did. I say'd it irkes me: half to weeping framed, 'Aye me' she cries, 'to love, why art a shamed?' Then wreathes about my neck her winding arms, And thousand kisses gives, that work my harms: I yield, and back my wit from battles bring, Domestic acts, and mine own wars to sing…"_ Spencer read out a piece of poetry that popped into his head as she kissed him.

"Hmm…" Scarlett thought for a moment, shifting through her memories, knowing she'd read that piece somewhere.

"Christopher Marlowe… he wrote that, upset with himself that his mind was focusing on his love instead of such more important matters he had to write about…"

"Are you saying I'm your wench-slash-distraction, Reid?" she giggled slightly, kissing him again.

"Uh- nah," he kissed her back, biting at her lips. "I'm saying I'd rather have my wench-slash-distraction although I know I have to focus on other things…" he shot back with a cocky grin. He felt his heart trip in his chest at the sound of her husky laugh.

"You're the only one who could ever get away with calling me your wench, farm boy…"

"I'd be pretty upset to hear if someone else was calling you their wench," he added, pulling her hips up to his, nipping at her lips. "Wench…"

"Master…" she laughed out loud at the blush that heated his cheeks. "Too far?"

"Not accurate," he blushed harder, burying his face against her neck. "You are my mistress…" he mumbled against her skin.

"I think we can work with that," she grinned, pulling his chin up so he met her eyes.

"Kiss me some more, boy…" she demanded, biting the inside of her cheek to stop the grin that threatened her lips. "Pleasure your wench…" she played with him.

"As you wish…" he breathed out, catching her mouth under his once again. Spencer took her request as a challenge, working her body with his lips and hands until she moaned under him.

Scarlett arched her hips against his as he continued his slow torment of her body. She ached for him…

"Mercy…" she finally gave in, hitching her legs up over his hips. "No more… I need you now."

Spencer held himself under rigid control as he slid himself between her legs, entering her. Lowering his lips to hers once again, he took her mouth with his kisses.

"Can I make you burn also, darling?" he asked, breathing the question against her skin as he nibbled the shell of her ear. Her only response was an incoherent sound and to arch against him instinctually. He felt a grin tug at his lips.

"Tell me…" he teased her lips with more kisses.

"I burn for you, Spencer Reid," she told him, her voice turning husky with emotion. She opened her eyes to watch as the fire overcame the both of them, burning them both with its heat.

"God how I love you, Katy Scarlett…" he whispered, moving to her side once again, spent. He kept his gaze locked on hers as he settled back against her pillow, watching her.

"As I love you, farm boy…" she responded, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him face to face with her. He gave her a lopsided grin as she rubbed her nose against his.

Scarlett watched his eyes drift closed as his breathing evened out. She continued his earlier vigil as the dawn started to break through the windows…

"Sleep sweet boy," she whispered softly. "I'll still be here when you wake," she promised, cuddling him close.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Spencer paced through the conference room as he waited on Hotch. He held his messenger tote that he carried across body tightly, his fingers picking at the leather strap as he turned and walked past Scarlett again.

"I made a few meals ahead and stored them in the freezer so you wouldn't have to cook…" he reminded her, glancing down at his watch. He cut a quick look at her face.

They'd agreed that they'd said their goodbyes in private earlier… but now that time was dragging out, he was becoming more frustrated each minute he wasn't holding her in his arms. He felt like he was wasting time, and just trying to avoid looking needy was wearing at him. It was becoming a chore and as time clicked ahead he was beginning to not give a flying fuck what the office protocol was…

Spencer moved closer to her…

Scarlett saw his hands twitch as he moved them from working nervously at the strap to his sides. He shoved them into his pockets in frustration before pulling them out again quickly. She saw the indecision in his eyes and knew he wanted to reach out to hold her close.

"I know, doll. And you made extra tea, too- I remember…" Scarlett watched him pace around the room some more.

"I'll be picking Mama and Norie up at four- you don't need to worry about me starving," she tried teasing him out of his mood.

Spencer scrubbed at his face in annoyance. "Do you think Hotch is doing this to me on purpose?" he sniped, looking back at the supervisor's office door, which was still closed. He frowned darkly at it.

"No," Scarlett stood up from where she'd been leaning against the desk and headed over to the door. His tension was beginning to wear against her own nerves.

"I think he got caught up on a phone call…" she told him. Spencer watched as she shut and locked the door, turning back towards him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his eyes looking from her to the blinds as she shut them. Scarlett left the one that viewed Hotch's office open.

"Attempting to calm you down before you give yourself a stroke, boy…" she smiled a little when she saw him open his mouth to argue but then close it quickly.

"Come here," she crooked her finger towards the now more private area of the room.

Spencer scuffed his toe against the carpet, looking back up at Hotch's office again before letting out a stressed breath. He moved closer to Scarlett.

"I want to get this over with…" he complained, sighing deeply when she wrapped him in her embrace. Scarlett felt him breathe against her skin, taking in her scent.

"I know, sweetie. Just try to relax…" she ran her thumbs down the back of his neck, letting her touch soothe him. She could feel tension riding him like waves over his muscles.

"This will be over before you know it," she told him. "I really think that the brain mapping may help recover Matloff's memories. Hotch will convince the judge to try it, and maybe you'll see a break through this weekend."

"I hope so. It's our best tool so far… I don't know what else to even suggest…"

Scarlett felt him shrug under his jacket so she rubbed at his shoulders. "It'll work," she reiterated, adding reinforcement to a positive outcome.

Spencer kept his cheek pressed against her hair, kissing her temple. He threw another look out towards Hotch's office. When he saw no movement, he lowered his head to meet her lips.

"Kiss me, Katy," he asked her. "Hold me and kiss me until I calm down," he asked.

"That might take a while," she teased, running her hands down to take his clenched hands in hers. She threaded her fingers through his, holding his hands as she met his lips. Spencer squeezed them tightly, taking her kisses, nipping at her lips over and over.

Bringing her closer, he raised his hands to the sides of her face, holding her in place as he continued to move his mouth over hers. The groan that started in his throat had her nudging him back a step.

"Reid…" she called him, warning him lightly with her tone.

"Come on, now. Time to rein it in. Hotch just came out of his office, pretty boy…" she told him as he leaned forward to steal one more kiss. Then another…

Scarlett smiled softly, touching his jaw as she pulled away. "Behave, lover…"

"Urrgh..." he made a frustrated sound as he let her go. "Okay… okay…" he relented, rolling his eyes and moving away from her to unlock the door... He straightened his bag at his side just as Hotch knocked and entered the room.

"Sorry for the delay… I wanted to make sure we would be able to set up the tests you had suggested without any problem. Now we just need to convince the judge," he told them both.

"Of course," Scarlett told Hotch with a smile. "No problem," she grinned at Spencer, giving him an 'I-told-you-so' look, and caught his scowl.

"We were just discussing the procedure. They've had promising results with other patients of retrograde amnesia. Other cases have used them effectively and entered them in evidence," she offered.

"Here's hoping we have the same luck," Hotch nodded, picking up his travel bag as Spencer grabbed his own.

"Garcia sent you the hotel information in a text," he told Reid. "We should arrive by ten… we'll check in and head right to the DA's office. The judge will see us at two where Matloff and his lawyer will be present."

Spencer nodded. "I'll make sure I have all the facts on the procedure and the cases they've been used in available for review," he offered, following Hotch. He looked back at Scarlett when she headed out of the conference room towards her own desk. He sighed heavily when she didn't turn back.

"I promise we will make this a quick of a process as possible," Aaron said, watching the direction of Reid's gaze.

Spencer shook himself slightly. "I know… I'll do whatever possible to help move this along as fast as I can…" he added what he'd promised to Scarlett into the conversation.

Hotch grinned. "I'm counting on it."

As they left the office together heading towards the SUV for the drive upstate, Spencer felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. A clip of the song 'Crazy Girl' by the Eli Young Band rang out. Hotch raised a brow at him.

"Already?" he teased.

"Sorry," he blushed. "I'll silence it…"

Spencer opened his phone to a picture of Scarlett sitting on his desk sticking her tongue out at him.

' _I is at ur desk touchin all ur stuff_ '' she'd texted. He rolled his eyes and laughed to himself.

' _I'd rather if you were touching me'_ he shot back quickly, closing out the screen. It buzzed back almost immediately.

' _Hmm. I could take that so many ways farm boy. Save the sexting 4 later. HMU when you are free_ …' Spencer looked at the screen quizzically, his mind caught between wondering between what sexting was and what HMU stood for…

Since he didn't want to ask Hotch either question, he closed out the phone again and promised to remember to ask Scarlett later. He pulled the case files out of his bag and started reviewing the details again as Hotch drove them to Roanoke.

Halfway into the trip they stopped to refuel and pick up some breakfast. Spencer balanced his cup of coffee and a package of cupcakes on his lap as he continued reading some research on the brain fingerprinting techniques that were offered at the hospital where Hotch had secured to provide the tests for Matloff.

He memorized the data, especially the details of positive results from other patients as he shoved one of the cakes in his mouth whole. Washing it down with the hot coffee, he wasn't paying attention and swallowed hard when he burnt his throat.

"Fuck…" he swore swiftly, coughing on the combination. Hotch looked over at him.

"We could have stopped for breakfast…" Aaron said, watching Reid sputter.

"Unnecessary waste of time…" Spencer shook his head. He thought about what he'd just said and looked over at Hotch sheepishly.

"Sorry," he said. "If you want to stop…"

Hotch grinned slightly. "No. I agree... But I'm sure we will be expected to eat at some point, probably at least dinner with the DA, CeCe Hildebrant…" he saw the uncomfortable look that crossed the younger man's face.

"I'll try to keep it as painless as possible Reid," he offered.

Spencer closed his eyes and tried to focus on staying positive as Scarlett had instructed him.

"I appreciate it," he told Hotch, as he re-opened them.

"You are picking up some of your wife's habits," Hotch smirked, moving his eyes back onto the road.

"What?" Spencer looked around quickly, not seeing what he'd done to bring about that comment.

"You closed your eyes to recite something just now," Hotch teased him. "I'm inclined to think it was probably song lyrics?"

"Oh…" Reid blushed. "Yeah… uh, just something I heard recently," he shrugged. He hadn't realized he had been repeating the words to one of the songs they'd danced to last night. His blush heated further as those thoughts led his mind elsewhere…

Spencer pulled his sunglasses off the top of his hair and covered his eyes as he scowled down at the paperwork on his lap, attempting to redirect his thoughts back to the case. Hotch noticed the quick cover up and focused his own gaze ahead, giving Reid the time to recover.

He didn't have Spencer's ability at reading lips, but he could read well enough to know the words had been to 'Woman' by John Lennon. Seeing the blush that had crept onto the younger man's face, it hadn't taking a profiler to figure out what had been running through Reid's mind.

"Do you know why I asked you to come along for this case?" Hotch asked Spencer.

"Torture?" Reid replied quickly without thinking while still scanning the files. He sat up straighter in his seat, horrified that he'd just said that out loud. Aaron raised a brow at him.

"Um, sorry… I guess I'm picking up Scarlett's other habits as well…" he apologized for the snarky comment. He was surprised when Hotch laughed.

"I guess I just figured it was because I could recall the details of the case more quickly?" he amended his answer, giving a little shrug.

"I'm sure that will help," Aaron nodded. "But as the other family man on the team, Reid, you are exceptionally motivated to get back home as soon as possible. That means maybe I can get back to Jack quicker with you working beside me…" he said, admitting as to why he had selected Reid to join him on this trip.

"Oh…" Spencer let Hotch's words sink in. He hadn't thought of himself as 'the other family man' on the team. It gave him a warm feeling. "Yeah. Yesterday isn't soon enough," he stated, looking over at Hotch. "I want to get back as soon as we can…"

"So do I," Aaron told him. "Jack has a soccer game on Thursday. He's hoping that I'll be there," he admitted. "I could only promise to try my best."

Spencer scowled down at the papers on his lap. He glanced over at Hotch. "Does it ever get easier?" he asked his friend. "To leave?"

Aaron met Spencer's eyes briefly. "No…"

He saw Reid sigh at that answer, looking back down at the files before him. Hotch decided to change the subject.

"So is there enough data to support the mapping theory as a workable therapy in this situation?" he asked Spencer after a few moments.

"Uh, yes… actually, it is very promising," Spencer picked up on the easier topic, reading through some of the cases that had helped other patients with amnesia.

"The biggest problem will be to figure out if this works or if Matloff will say it hasn't to further his case," Reid finished.

"I'm counting on you to be watching him closely to determine that. If he's faking, we need to prove it…"

"Right," Spencer agreed. "I will keep an eye on him…"


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Spencer followed Hotch into the DA's office that afternoon. The blond woman turned at their entry, smiling at Aaron.

"I appreciate you coming out like this… I know it's short notice…" she shook Hotch's hand and nodded over to Reid, remembering the younger agent had an aversion to physical contact.

"Dr. Reid… thank you for assisting…" she said to him.

"No problem," Reid looked down at the crime scene pictures that were scattered over the table top. "Anything I can do to help them find justice," he added, indicating the victim's photos. "They've waited too long as it is…"

Cece sighed heavily. "I agree. And I don't want to see this bastard walk because of a technicality. Our witness was our only evidence that put Matloff on the scene with the last victim. Now we don't even have that. I hope your brain fingerprinting theory will hold with the judge."

Hotch met her eyes. "Dr. Reid has a given me all the information to make a good argument for the benefit of the court. I also have my team back at the office researching further into leads that may have fallen off track after Matloff was captured. We will help you however possible."

She looked over at the clock. "You better give me the run down. We have to be before the judge in less than an hour…"

"Absolutely," Hotch agreed. He looked over at Reid. "While I'm updating Ms. Hildebrant, would you contact Ryan and Morgan to see what they may have found on the Native American connection? I know they were researching that and a possibility of finding the missing trophies… Any physical evidence we can find would be beneficial…" he said to Cece.

"Right, I'll get right on it," Spencer said, pulling out his phone and calling Scarlett directly.

"Hello boy… you're on speaker," he heard her voice warn him as she picked up the line after the first ring.

"Hello girl," he said quietly, moving out of the main office into another room. "Hotch wanted to find out if you guys had found anything out about Matloff's history- or if there had been any leads on the items he'd taken from the victims."

Scarlett looked around the table, meeting Derek's eyes. He nodded and took over the conversation.

"We don't know why he had researched into the Native American beliefs… but we found he had a lot of information filed away… Scarlett looked over the crime scene photos and had a theory we hadn't considered…"

"Which was?" Reid stated, moving over to a desk chair and pulling out his notes.

Scarlett heard him shuffling papers around and gave him a minute to find a pen.

"The victim's being buried face down may not have been remorse," she told him. "In some tribal cultures the act would be to trap spirits in the grave, keeping the ghost from haunting their murderer. So if he was studying the culture, adapting his lifestyle to their belief system…"

"He may have had earlier victim's that didn't have this signature…" Reid responded.

"Right. We'd have to figure out when he came into this way of thinking… before he started killing? Or did he change along the way?"

"Got it…" Spencer said, scribbling notes down as she spoke.

"Garcia is checking further into Matloff's childhood too- we may find something there that was missed…" Morgan added.

"Okay, thanks guys… I'll let Hotch know…"

Scarlett picked up the phone, taking it off speaker and talking directly to Spencer as she exited the room.

"Does the DA seem to think she can use the brain fingerprinting argument to convince the judge enough to try it?" she asked him.

Spencer nodded, still writing. It took him a moment to realize Scarlett couldn't see him and he rolled his eyes at himself.

"She's all for it," he told her out loud. "Her concern right now is to convince the judge… once we do that, then we'll have to see if it works. Hotch wants me to keep a close eye on Matloff in case it does work but he tries to hide behind the amnesia for a defense."

"That's understandable," she said. "How are you doing after not sleeping all night?" she asked him, turning the conversation more personal.

"I'm fine," he told her. "Not even tired, really. More edgy than anything, wanting to get this over with…"

"Don't let it make you miss a trick boy…"

"I won't," he promised. "How are you feeling?" he asked. "I kept you up half the night…"

Scarlett smiled. "Not missing it a bit, sweetie. I'd rather spend every night like last night…" she teased. "You know I don't need much sleep…"

Spencer looked over at the clock. "Alright… but try to get some rest tonight at least. Promise?"

"I'll try," he heard her say. "I can't make any promises about how well I'll sleep without you beside me, though," he noted the slight hint of sadness in her voice.

"Hey…" Spencer's voice turned softer. "I'll miss you too, crazy girl. I'll be back as soon as possible…"

"I know," Scarlett sighed, not meaning to have turned the conversation to depressive. "Maybe I'll turn the living room into a blanket fort for tonight and sleep with Norie…" she said with a slight chuckle.

Spencer grinned at the thought. "I can see you doing that," he laughed. "It sounds like a fun idea. Norie would love it…"

"Alright… I'd better get back to work," Scarlett added. "I love you, my sweet boy…"

"As I love you my beautiful girl… I'll call you later tonight when we are finished for the day."

"Okay- we've got to do a skype call with Mama and Norie- don't forget…" she grinned, excited about giving them the news of the baby.

"I didn't forget," he said, "I won't forget…" he added. "I'm looking forward to seeing their faces…"

"Until later then…"

"Yeah…" Spencer sighed. "I don't want to say good bye…" He heard Scarlett chuckle.

"Me neither… so TTFN… Love you…"

Spencer smiled at the phone. "Later… Love you too…" he heard the phone beep after the call disconnected and sighed. He looked at the clock once again, and gathered up his papers, heading back into the DA's private office.

He relayed the information that the team had given him to Hotch. "Agent Ryan had some insights into the background of the Native American burial rights, which gave her another theory we hadn't considered… and Garcia is looking further into Matloff's background to see where this interest may have come from… As soon as they find anything else, they'll let us know…" he finished with his update.

"Good…" Hotch looked at his watch. "We'd better get over to the courthouse," he stated.

Reid followed Hotch and Cece into the courthouse a few blocks away. They split up in the courtroom, the DA and Hotch heading to the front to take their place before the judge, while Spencer sat in the back, choosing a seat where he'd have an unobstructed view of Matloff himself. The proceedings were called to order and Hildebrant wasted no time getting to the point of the matter. She used Reid's data to create a case for the brain fingerprinting use on Matloff.

"We would like to request that the defendant undergo a process called 'brain fingerprinting'," she began with her plea to the judge. "This procedure will prove that the memories of the crimes are present in the memories of the defendant, regardless of whether or not he chooses to recall them…"

The defense lawyer immediately began to argue against the test.

"Your Honor, where do I begin? The science of this sort of test is unproven to say the least…"

"In the state of Iowa versus Terry Harrington, the results were ruled as admissible as scientific evidence, as defined by Congress ruling seven oh two and in Daubert v. Merrill…" Cece countered, using the information that Spencer had supplied.

"This is a hail mary, your honor. They have no evidence, and they know it. Beyond that, my client is in a very fragile mental state. I can't in good conscience let them go poking around in his brain…"

"What about that? Is it safe?" the judge asked the DA. Cece turned to Hotch, waiting for him to supply the answer.

Spencer watched Matloff as he looked between his lawyer and then over at Hotch. He seemed lucid and aware of the conversation about him.

Hotch stood. "The test in non-invasive and completely safe. Mr. Matloff will be simply looking at images on a computer screen while an EEG monitors his brain activity."

"Subject him to graphic imagery to prompt some kind of reaction, which they can then point to as evidence as guilt?" Matloff's attorney interrupted. "It's perverse! I object to even-"

"I want to do it…" the defendant stated.

Spencer's eyes narrowed as he watched Matloff interrupt his own lawyer.

"What? Wait… one minute your honor…" the lawyer stated, leaning over to his client.

Cece looked hopefully from Matloff to Hotch.

Matloff stood, ignoring the other man. "Uh, your honor… Every day, I waken to this nightmare of not knowing who or what I am. If this test can help me regain my memories… if it is even a possibility… then whatever the consequences, I want to try it…" Matloff stated. "I have to…"

Reid watched Matloff closely, considering everything from his tone of voice to his posture as he made his request of the court. Spencer squinted slightly as he studied him. It certainly appeared that the man was being sincere.

The judge nodded, looking to the DA. "I will accept the DA's request for the procedure. We will reconvene after the testing, schedule providing to fit the docket on Tuesday…"

Spencer groaned inwardly at the extra days delay. He'd hoped for an early Monday order…

Hotch leaned over, whispering something to Cece. She nodded, looking over to the defense.

"The FBI has an expert ready to proceed with the testing this afternoon, if it pleases the court…"

The judge motioned towards the defendant. "Is this acceptable to you, Mr. Matloff?"

"Yes, your honor… as soon as possible, that is fine…"

The judge nodded. "That being the case, we will see where we stand and plan to keep the trial on the docket for early Monday…" he signaled the close of the session with his gavel.

Reid stood, leaving the courtroom, pulling out his phone to call Scarlett to let her know the test had been approved. He'd just moved into the hallway when he heard someone call his name.

"Dr. Reid?"

He turned towards the voice, something about it ringing in his memory.

"Mr. Corbett…" Spencer pulled up the name from his mental files. This was the third victim, Darci Corbett's father. He had met him during the original case, when her body had been discovered and had been the one to tell the man that it was his daughter. He shook the man's hand easily.

Mr. Corbett looked down at their hands, surprised that the agent had taken it. Spencer shrugged slightly, realizing that people he'd met in the past had no way of knowing how much he'd changed just in the last year… in all honesty, he hadn't even realized it himself. Filing the thought away for later, he met the older man's eyes.

"I didn't see you in there. How have you been?" he asked him, offering the father a slight smile.

"Um, not bad… considering… Uh… you aren't buying this amnesia thing, are you?" he asked, wanting Reid's opinion on the case.

"I'm trying to figure that out," Spencer told him.

"It's probably something the lawyer thought up," Mr. Corbett stated with a scoff. Spencer didn't comment, only waited for the other man to continue.

"It won't work, will it?" he asked.

"We have a pretty strong case," Spencer reassured the father.

"Good. That's good…" he shifted nervously, looking Reid over. "You've changed… uh, and you look different…your hair…" the man smiled slightly.

"Uh, yeah," Spencer ran his hand over his ears, still unused to the short cropped feeling. He shrugged. "It's been four years," he reminded the man.

"Right, right- time… it's weird… Sometimes I think Darci is just…" Mr. Corbett sighed. "This messes with time… this thing…"

"I know," Spencer spoke softly.

He caught the sight of Spencer's wedding band. "You, uh, you got married," he nodded at Reid's hand, giving him a half smile.

"Yeah," Spencer grinned, looking at the band himself, twisting it a little. "Uh, yes- I've got a daughter and a baby on the way now too," he offered, meeting the man's eyes.

"Really? That's great… that's wonderful. There's nothing more important than family…"

"No, there isn't… I agree…" Spencer looked around the hallway quickly. "And how about you? Mrs. Corbett…? Is she here? I didn't see…"

"Oh, uh… no, no… we split up. We just… couldn't…" Mr. Corbett sighed heavily, meeting Spencer's eyes again. "It was my fault, really…"

Spencer bit his lips together nervously. "I'm sorry… I'm sure it was just- you know…" he sighed. He knew the statistics of divorce in cases where a violent crime happened within a family were very high, higher when it was an only child such as Darci had been. But he knew that the statistics wouldn't help Mr. Corbett.

"It happens…" was all he could offer.

"Yeah. It's okay… Everything is going to be okay now. Everyone always talks about closure. Maybe… maybe I'll be able to move on… after…"

"I hope so. Mr. Corbett… I promise, we are doing everything we can…" Spencer looked the man in the eye.

"I know. Thank you. Really…" he took Spencer's hand again, squeezing it. "I'll see you on Monday?"

"Absolutely," Reid agreed. "I'll be here…


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Scarlett walked through the lobby of the hospital where Matloff had spent the duration of his coma. She pulled out her cell phone, calling Spencer.

Reid felt his phone vibrate; turning away from the window where he'd been watching Matloff's reactions to the images he was being shown on the screen before him. So far nothing had seemed to trigger any response from the man, but Spencer was hoping maybe the EEG would pick up on something that his eyes had missed. He looked at the caller ID, seeing Scarlett's picture and answered the phone with a quick apologetic look towards Hotch and Hildebrant.

"Scarlett- I'm in with Matloff right now," he answered quietly.

"Okay, understood…" she responded, knowing he needed to focus on the unsub. "Real quick though- I wanted to let you guys know, I'm at the hospital where Matloff had stayed- I think I may have something… a lead…" she told him.

"What did you find?" Spencer asked.

"Matloff had a visitor that came once every six months while he was here," Scarlett stated.

"Someone we know?"

"No, that's the thing- I don't remember hearing the name brought up in any of the case files. The name on the visitor's log is Nina Moore… do you recognize it boy?"

Spencer ran the name through his mental files. "No. The name was never mentioned in anything I've read, either," he confirmed.

"Okay. I'll track her down… nobody comes to visit a coma patient that steadily without some connection."

"Right… Let me know what you find," Spencer said. "I gotta go…"

"I'm on it…" Scarlett disconnected the call with Reid, and switched to Bluetooth as she got in the driver's seat of the SUV. She called Garcia to have her friend look up the unknown name as she drove back to the office.

"Pens- I need everything you can find on a Nina Moore. She'd visited with Matloff during the time he was hospitalized…"

"Okay- let me see what I can dig up my little friend… I'll hit you back if I get something," Penny said as she clicked away at her keyboard. "Anything to help bring your boo home quicker…"

"I know, right?" Scarlett sighed. "I'm going to be picking up Momma and Norie after work tonight… Do you and Derek want to come over to our place later? We can grab take out for dinner," she asked her friend.

"Sounds good," Penelope grinned. "Maybe we can make Mom's cobbler for dessert," she added. "If you are up to it?" she mentioned, knowing that some scents were bothering Scarlett's suddenly sensitive nose.

"Mmm. I'd love cobbler, actually- the bothering part is trial and error at the moment. Less things are being a problem, but I'm never sure what will set it off…" she sighed. "So we'll play it by ear…"

"Spencer is going to skype in at some point tonight too, so we can tell Momma and Nors about the baby- I thought you might want in on that," Scarlett smiled at Penny's laugh.

"Oh,ho- you know it baby girl- I'm so in for excited baby talk! Derek and I will pick up dinner on the way, so don't worry about that. You just grab Mom and Norie… I'll see you when you get here…"

"Okay sweets…" Scarlett disconnected the call and headed back towards downtown.

Halfway there, her phone rang again. Answering the call, she heard Derek's voice.

"Conferencing you in with Hotch and Reid, sweetheart…"

"Okay- I'm here. Do we have something?"

Hotch's voice responded. "Negative results on the brain fingerprinting…"

Scarlett sighed audibility.

"There weren't any significant mermers on any of the pictures, which means Matloff had no familiarity to any of the images," Reid supplied. "So either he really doesn't remember…"

"Or we got the wrong guy…" she finished his sentence.

"The negative results on the tests may have just killed any chance we had of putting Matloff away," Hotch replied.

"The DA isn't required to enter it into evidence," Rossi's voice came over the speakers.

"No, but he can get it on discovery," Hotch stated. "You can bet his lawyer will use it…"

"And that is why I distrust technology," Dave commented.

"So how did he get over it?" Morgan asked. "I thought nobody could beat this test…"

"The damage to his parietal lobe must have been more extensive than previously thought," Reid offered. "The brain injury could have literally deleted his memories."

"Well, he did the murders and we will prove it- what he remembers doesn't matter…" Dave said.

"Doesn't it?" Scarlett asked. "I mean if those memories are gone forever, doesn't that make him, I don't know like a…"

"Different person?" Spencer stated.

"Yeah…" Scarlett agreed.

"It's an interesting thought-" Reid started to mention…

"Not to me," Rossi interjected.

"But it goes to core arguments to the nature of identity," Spencer argued. "There is a western philosophical concept, 'causal dependence' that says that a psychological connection to the past plays a key role in defining who we are…"

"Reid- are you saying you don't believe this guy should stand trial?" Morgan asked.

"No! No- I'm not saying that at all!" Spencer looked over at Hotch across the hotel room table.

"But one can argue that without those memories, that he could be a different person, therefor no longer a threat to society…" Scarlett supplied an answer for Reid. "I'm pulling in the parking lot now- I'll be right in…" she told the team members who were inside. She disconnected her phone from the Bluetooth, putting in her earpiece.

"He may not be a threat until he gets his memory back…" Dave was saying.

"Look, it's not just about this guy being a danger," Derek added. "It's about somebody paying for what happened to these women. Someone has to be accountable…"

"It's not up to us to decide to what extent he should be punished. That's up to the courts," Hotch stated. "We need evidence so it can connect him to the crimes so he can be brought to trial," he expressed.

"Where are we on the mystery visitor?" Hotch asked Scarlett.

"Ugh. Garcia and I contacted every Nina Moore within five hundred miles of the hospital. Seventy one in total and we've got nothing… No takers…"

"Matloff was a textbook loner, no meaningful relationships. For someone to come back to visit him while he was in a coma indicates they felt a close connection…" Hotch stated.

"Could have been a fan- every serial killer has them," Rossi mentioned.

"Ryan, go back to through the hospital staff that worked closely with Matloff- somebody has to remember this one visitor. She would have stood out in their minds…"

"Right- will do," Scarlett entered the conference room where the others had gathered and they heard her voice through both lines. She disconnected her cell, continuing the conversation over the speaker phone in the center of the desk. Looking over at JJ she threw her friend a grin. "How do you feel about going fishing with me?" she asked, knowing it would be easier to cover more of the staff if they split up the names.

"Hand over the names…" JJ smiled, reaching over for some of the pages Scarlett took from a file.

"Alright- we'll let you know if we get any hits," Scarlett said, heading back out with JJ to start making more calls.

A few hours later, even with Penelope adding her assistance, they weren't any closer to finding out who this Nina Moore was.

Scarlett sighed, pushing her pages into a file and standing up from her desk.

"I've got to go pick up my family from the airport…" she told JJ.

"Okay…" JJ looked up to meet her friend's eyes. "I'm going to take another shot at the hospital, in person. Maybe someone will be more prone to remember something face to face."

"Let's hope so. Without any more evidence, I don't know how they can get a conviction…" Scarlett looked down at her watch. "Time… we are running out of it…"

JJ nodded, picking up her purse to head out also. They continued the discussion of the trial as they headed to the parking lot.

"Try not to worry, Scarlett. We are doing our best… Enjoy your family time, such as it is… and regardless of how the trial ends, Spence will be back soon enough…"

"I know," she gave JJ a brief smile as she slid into the driver's seat of Spencer's Volvo.

"No bike?" JJ asked, watching as she put on her seatbelt.

"I'm picking up Norie and Mama from the airport straight from here, it made more sense…" she told JJ.

Scarlett grinned more fully. "Plus, it's a compromise… Spencer asked I not ride alone until after the baby is born. We had a bit of a spat about it- but I let him win in the end…" she winked.

JJ laughed. "Well, you have to pick your battles…"

"Hmm. I guess. He had to promise to take me out once in a while, so I don't go stir crazy. You wouldn't believe how bad you can miss riding."

"I'll take your word for it. I went once with Will- my legs and back agreed that it isn't for me," she joked.

"We will all have to get together and go horseback riding," Scarlett mentioned. "I think you'd enjoy that more."

"Maybe," JJ allowed, as Scarlett turned over the engine on the ancient car. "Probably not until after September…" she said, laying a hand on her belly.

Scarlett snorted. "More like not until next summer…" she agreed, thinking about how difficult it would be for her to ride in September. "I'll be close to popping in September…"

"You'll be surprised how fast it will all go," JJ offered. "In no time your baby will be starting kindergarten and you'll wonder where the hell the time went…" she said, thinking about how big Henry was already getting.

Scarlett sighed. "Alright, I'll just try to enjoy every moment," she smiled up at JJ. "Call me if you get anything on Nina…"

"I will- I promise," JJ said, watching Scarlett pull out of the parking lot before heading over to her own car.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Norie ran straight into Scarlett's arms for a hug. Scarlett wrapped herself around her sister, tucking her face against the younger girl's hair, breathing in her scent of strawberries and fresh air.

"God, I missed you sweet baby!" Scarlett kissed her head, pulling back to look into her face. "I think you grew again- and I'm going to have to insist you stop," she teased.

Norie stood on her toes, making herself eye level with Scarlett. She wrinkled her nose. "I'll stop once I pass you out, just so I can call you my little sister," Norie giggled.

"Mama," Scarlett turned to hug Frannie, squeezing her tightly. "I'm so glad you were able to come too," she said, suddenly becoming emotional. She fought back a sniffle and breathed in slowly, redirecting her thoughts to stop from crying.

"I missed you too sweetheart," Fran held her tighter, hearing the weepiness in Scarlett's voice. "I'm happy to be here," she said, rubbing Scarlett's back lightly.

"Let's grab your bags," Scarlett said quickly, refusing to give in to her wayward emotions. "D and Penny are bringing over dinner, so they are probably waiting on us…"

"Uncle Derek won't wait…" Norie teased, grabbing her suitcase from the conveyor belt.

"Aunt Penny will make him," Frannie said, grabbing hers also. They picked up the cats in their travel carrier next and Norie fussed over them for a little bit, checking out how they made the trip. Walter pressed his face against the cage, purring roughly.

"Almost home, fat boy…" Norie teased, scratching him through the vents.

"I wish Spencer hadn't been called away for that trial," Fran mentioned, watching Scarlett's eyes, wondering if his being away was what had made her sound sad.

"Spencer will be calling later on Skype to talk to everyone," Scarlett said, purposefully keeping her voice cheerful. "The trial is scheduled for Monday so if everything goes well, he's hoping to be back by Tuesday- Wednesday at the latest… Do you think you can stay that long?" she asked her mother.

"I'm able to stay until next weekend," Fran threw her arm around Scarlett's shoulders, giving her another squeeze. "You're stuck with me."

She noticed when Scarlett bit her lips together and her face flushed slightly as she tried to hide her emotions once again. Before she could say anything about it though, Scarlett had snatched up the bags, hurrying over to the car.

"C'mon then," she stored the suitcases into the trunk. "I've got movies and popcorn planned," she winked at Norie. She tucked the cats' cage into the back seat beside the little girl.

The drive back to the apartment was uneventful. Norie chattered away, filling the silence with stories about her friends back in Chicago and what she'd been doing so far to stay busy…

"The drama club is hosting a day camp in August before school starts back…" Norie mentioned, catching Scarlett's eyes in the rearview mirror.

"If you want to go back a little earlier so you don't miss out sweetie, you know it's alright with us…" Scarlett told her, including Spencer in her decision. "We know how hard it has to be to try to live at two places at once," she said, her voice cracking slightly.

Scarlett cleared her throat, scowling, becoming frustrated and angry at herself for being overly emotional.

"We don't need to decide right away, at any rate," Frannie offered, noticing again the look in Scarlett's eyes.

"Are you okay Katy-bird?" she asked gently.

Scarlett sighed. "I'm just happy you are here. I missed you both. I miss Spencer, too. And irritatingly enough I'm getting weepy over the most ridiculous things at the moment…" she wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Frannie raised a brow at her daughter, but let the subject drop as they pulled into the building's parking. She grinned as she saw her son come down the front stairs, ready to help unload their bags.

"Well, look at you…" Fran exited the car, pulling Derek into her embrace. She moved back a step, looking him up and down. "I swear you look more and more like your father, every day…"

"Huh, and I thought I got my good looks from you," he teased, leaning forward as his mother kissed him on the cheek.

"Mmm-hmm, maybe mostly…" she joked back easily, placing her hands on his face. "I love you baby boy…"

"I love you too, Mom," Morgan kissed her forehead.

"Where's Aunt Penny?" Norie asked while wrestling the cat carrier from the back seat.

"Whoa, pumpkin…" Derek reached over and easily lifted the carrier out of the car. He set it down on the sidewalk, pulling Norie into his arms.

"Aunt Penny is upstairs putting dinner out… She picked up Italian and salads," he said shooting a look over at Scarlett. "She said you didn't mention what to bring…" he warned her, hoping Scarlett would be okay with the choices.

"Ah, yeah," Scarlett rubbed her neck slightly, mimicking Reid's stress move. Just the thought of garlic made her stomach flip. _Shit_ …

"It sounds good to me," she lied, shrugging. "Let's get everything inside," she stated, praying the house didn't reek. She picked up the cats while Derek grabbed the suitcases and followed the women upstairs.

"Hey you!" Penelope came out of the kitchen, reaching for Norie's hug. "Mmm- still the champion squeezer, bunny!" she said, kissing the girl lightly. She moved over into Fran's arms next.

"I bought the ingredients for your cobbler," Penny told her. "If you feel up to a baking lesson after dinner," she said with a smile.

"I'd love to," Frannie hugged her back. "Then we can do some wedding planning too- the next fourteen months are going to zip by… I know you booked the gardens, but have you made any other plans?"

Penelope smiled. "I have oodles of plans… I have _files_ of plans…" she laughed. "And I just so happened to have brought them along…"

Frannie followed Penny into the kitchen to help with setting up dinner. She took some of the breadsticks out of the oven and Scarlett suddenly was overwhelmed by the smell of garlic. She felt her face heat as she began to sweat…

"Uh oh…" Derek caught the slightly green tinge in her cheeks. "I guess Italian wasn't one of the good choices?" he asked her quietly. Norie had taken the cats into her bedroom while she unpacked, but he didn't want anyone to overhear.

"Umm, garlic," Scarlett swallowed at the bile in her throat. "Not… just… ugh- Cover for me," she told her brother, running into the master bath.

Frannie had looked up at the quick movement from the living room just in time to see Scarlett race for the bedroom. She wiped her hands on the towel and looked over at Penelope.

"I'm going to check on Scarlett," she told her as she included Derek in her gaze. She went over to the refrigerator, pulling out the container of herbal tea she'd seen earlier and poured a large glass. Fran headed towards the bedroom…

"Ma- I don't think…" Morgan stopped talking when Frannie gave him the face. "Nevermind…"

She grinned as she passed him, patting his shoulder lightly. "It's okay, baby boy. You didn't give away any secrets… A mother knows things…" she told him, moving towards the bedroom. As she got to the door, she turned around and looked at Penelope.

"Do me a favor and seal up those breadsticks," she told her. "I don't think they are going on the menu tonight…"

Penny nodded, grabbing some sealable bags to transfer the bread into and closed it up. Morgan went over to one of the windows, opening it wide.

"She knows," Garcia told him when she caught his eyes.

Derek nodded. "She's Mom- she always knows," he grinned.

"Remind me never to try to keep a secret from her," Penny smiled.

"Oh, you won't," he laughed. "No sense even trying…"

Derek helped Penelope with the rest of dinner, making sure nothing else smelled strongly of garlic.

"I hope it helps," Penny said as she stored the bag away inside another container. She handed the whole thing to Morgan. "Just- go put this right in our car," she warned him, unsure what else she could do to help Scarlett.

Frannie knocked lightly on the door that separated the master bedroom from the bath. She pushed the door slightly and saw Scarlett leaning over the sink, breathing deeply as she ran cool water, splashing it onto her face and neck.

Scarlett gave her mother a sheepish grin as she saw her set the tea onto the counter beside her.

"When did you figure it out?" she asked, taking in a slow breath. Thankfully all she could smell was her mother's clean scent.

"For certain? Just now… but the crying jag had me wondering, firstly," Fran smiled, rubbing Scarlett's back lightly. She waited until her daughter took a drink of the tea before asking the next question.

"When are you due?" she smiled widely.

Scarlett cracked a small grin. "October… Halloween, actually," she responded. "Fitting, yes?"

Fran laughed. "Quite, my little witch… a Samhain baby- right in time for the turning of the wheel. It'll be most blessed…" she brought Scarlett into her embrace, and felt her sigh.

"I'm so scared Mama…" Scarlett admitted.

"Of what, sweetie?" Fran looked down into her eyes.

"Everything- I'm afraid I won't be a good mother, I'm afraid I can't do this right… I don't know," she said, tears forming in her eyes once again. "I feel like I'm on an emotional roller coaster…"

Frannie held her closer for a minute, letting her cry a bit before pulling back to meet her gaze again.

"It's perfectly normal to be scared, baby girl. And the hormones will settle down in a little while. It's a big job your body is handling right now. A whole new life is growing…so cut yourself some slack… your body is allowed to go haywire from time to time."

"So I'm assuming the skype call later with Spencer is to tell Norie the news?" Frannie grinned, changing the subject slightly.

"It was supposed to be to tell you both," Scarlett drank some more of the tea, relieved it was settling her stomach. "But I blew that…"

"You can't keep a secret that big from a mother," Frannie teased. "We see all… know all…" she laughed.

Scarlett grinned, hugging Frannie once again. "I'm really glad you are here, Mama…"

"Anytime, baby… you know that…" she kissed her forehead lightly. "Now, I had Penny put away the garlic bread- she probably has it hermetically sealed by now, knowing how it bothered you- so do you feel like trying to eat something?" she asked.

Scarlett moved back into the bedroom, going into Spencer's closet. She took out one of his lightweight hoodies and breathed in deeply. It smelled like him…

She put it on, wrapping herself in his scent.

"Okay, I think I'm ready now," she smiled at her mom, grabbing her tea and following her into the living room.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Scarlett adjusted the tablet screen as the call came in, so the camera caught a wider angle.

"Hello, boy…" Scarlett smiled, happy to see Spencer's face even though it was only on the screen.

"Hello, girl…" he replied, looking her over. He noticed the hoodie and gave her a quizzical glance. "You cold?" he asked, concern already marring his brow.

"No," she shook her head. "Penny accidentally brought garlic bread in the house," she told him, burrowing her nose into the fabric.

"Ah… got it," he responded. When she adjusted the too large sweatshirt around her tighter he scowled slightly. "I'm jealous of my own hoodie…" he snarked, a teasing look coming into his eyes.

Scarlett laughed and blew him a kiss. "If it helps any, I wish it were you wrapped around me…"

"Mmm- nope, that doesn't help at all," he rolled his eyes. "Now I've got too many unmentionable thoughts in my head…"

"Uh-huh, maybe you could mention them to me later, when we are alone," Scarlett grinned.

"Where are Norie and your mom?" he asked as his face heated in a blush, changing the subject to a safer topic.

"In the kitchen with Penny, making peach cobbler…"

"How's that working for you?" he watched her face.

"Great- Mama's cobbler smells almost as good as your hoodie," she joked. She watched as Spencer leaned back on the hotel room bed, moving the laptop screen to keep the camera on him from the position on his chest. He pulled another pillow over behind his head.

"I miss you," he told her quietly.

"Awe. I miss you too farm boy," she gave him a soft smile. Reaching a finger towards the screen, she touched the outline of his jaw. She saw him close his eyes and sigh.

She sat back against the couch, watching his face for a moment.

"Mama figured out the news…" she told him. "Between a weepy breakdown and the garlic incident, I kind of gave it away."

Spencer bit his bottom lip. "Well, I'm glad at least she was there to help you through it…"

Scarlett could hear the frustrated tone in his voice. "Hey, now… don't do that. I'm fine. It was just a little hiccup… We are fine," she told him, rubbing her belly.

She saw him shrug, but the look was still on his face.

"Spence…" she sighed. He bit his lips into a thin line.

"Okay… I'm going to call Norie over so we can tell her about the baby…" she changed the subject, wanting to see him smile.

He sat up straighter on the bed as he moved the laptop over his crossed legs.

"Alright…"

Scarlett grinned, reaching behind the couch for a bag.

"I picked something up at the hospital gift shop today," she told him, pulling a pink t-shirt out. She laid it out across her chest to show him.

Spencer laughed as he read the shirt. The words looked like it was written in crayon and said 'I'm the big sister'…

"Okay," he smiled. "Let's tell her…" he agreed, his mood suddenly lifting. He watched Scarlett fold the shirt back into a gift bag as she called out for their daughter.

"Norie- Daddy's on Skype… do you want your chance to talk with him?" she yelled across the apartment. Scarlett saw Spencer wince as the speaker cut out around her hollering.

"Whoops, sorry farm boy…" she giggled.

Norie bounced into the living room, climbing up onto Scarlett's lap so she could see the tablet better.

"Hi Daddy!" Noreen waved at the screen and pretended to give it a hug. "I miss you!" she pouted slightly.

"Hi sweetheart… I miss you too…" he said, watching the screen closely. "I'll be home as soon as I can, I promise…"

"I know," Norie scrunched up her face, fighting back her emotions. Spencer was shocked by how much she resembled Scarlett when she did…

"I'll be here- I promise," she chirped, recovering from her sadness quickly. "And Mama too… she's staying until next weekend. You have to see the kitties- Walter is bigger than Cleo now, he's getting so fat. He loves me… he'll come looking for me first off, before anyone…" she chattered away for a little bit, snuggling back against Scarlett's chest. Spencer saw Scarlett wrap an arm around the girl's shoulders and kiss her hair, breathing in deeply.

"She almost smells as good as you…" Scarlett told him, seeing him notice the action.

Scrubbing his face with his hand, he shook his head soberly. "Okay, then your job is to keep close to your mom, Norie. I'm counting on you…"

Noreen looked back over her shoulder at Scarlett. "Umm, alright? Why?"

"Because smells are bothering her right now, and I'm not there to help," he told the girl.

"Daddy smells good to me, and so do you," Scarlett told her, tucking her nose into the hoodie. "That's why I keep doing this," she mumbled through the fabric, trying to make Noreen laugh.

Norie tilted her head back against Scarlett's neck, reaching up and twisting a piece of her hair. The little girl's eyes watched her intently.

"Why are smells bothering you all of a sudden? Are you sick?" she asked as she continued twisting Scarlett's curl.

Scarlett could see the change in Norie's eyes and worried she was thinking of how her biological mother had taken ill…

"No… no, baby girl… it's a temporary thing, I promise. I'm not sick…" she pressed her cheek against Norie's, braiding two pieces of their hair together as they sat close.

Spencer couldn't tell where one ended and the other began, they were so similar. He studied the little girl, picturing Scarlett at her age. He felt his heart trip a little in his chest, wondering if their baby were to be a girl if she'd resemble Scarlett so closely, also…

"Here, I picked you up something…" she handed Norie the bag from behind her and winked at Spencer. He concentrated more fully on Norie's reaction.

"Oh… cool," Norie pulled open the bag, lifting the shirt from the tissue paper. She read it and looked quizzically between Scarlett and Spencer.

"I'm the little sister," she furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Mmm-hmm," Scarlett said, kissing her temple. "But you are our daughter, first…" she said, waiting for the meaning to kick in…

Norie looked at Scarlett, then back at the shirt. She picked up her eyes and met Spencer's grin on the screen.

"Nooo…" her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh! Oh! Really!" she squealed, turning in Scarlett's arms to hug her tight. She backed off a bit, looking down at Scarlett's stomach.

"Oh- I can't jump on you anymore!" she said moving back carefully. She looked over at the screen to Spencer.

"I promise, I'll take good care of Mom while you are away, Dad," she told him. She looked back to Scarlett again.

"Do you feel the baby move yet?" she asked. "Am I having a brother or a sister…? When will the baby be here? Oh, my goodness- did you pick out any names yet? Can I help to pick it out? Can the baby stay in my room… are we going to move?"

Scarlett laughed as the 'norese' tripped off the little girl's tongue. She hugged her back close once again, holding the tablet up higher so Spencer could see them better.

"No baby moving yet, it's kind of early for that still. A few more weeks… We don't know if it's a boy or girl either. The due date is October- Halloween, so we have a while yet to pick out names, and we haven't even talked about it yet. Of course you can help choose… We have talked about using the nook in the corner of our room at first and maybe bunking the baby with you when he or she gets older or changing over the office… so we don't need to move right away. We will have to think about that in the future though…" she rattled back to Noreen.

Norie looked back at the screen, tears beginning to fill her eyes. Spencer saw the emotions that the little girl was suddenly holding back reflecting there.

"Hey, sweetheart," he said, shifting his computer so he sat straighter. "What's got that look on your face?"

Norie tucked into Scarlett's shoulder. When she only shrugged, Spencer looked at Scarlett, concern on his own gaze.

"Come on now…" Scarlett nudged her. "Talk to us, sweet baby…"

"I- I just…" the little girl sniffled slightly, rubbing her hand across her face. "I'm happy, I really am..." she qualified her response. "But I was just thinking… maybe with your own baby coming, maybe you don't need me around anymore…" she said, her voice catching on a sob. "You'll have your own…" she couldn't finish her sentence.

Scarlett looked over at Spencer, horrified.

"What?" he said, his own voice cracking with emotion. "That's not true…"

"No, not ever…" Scarlett agreed, holding the girl closer. "You are ours… Norie… please," she kissed her daughter's forehead. "Please don't ever think that. Having a baby is wonderful- not something that makes us love _you_ any less…"

Spencer clenched his hand at his side, upset he wasn't there to hold the child also.

"Norie, look at me," he told her. When she turned her face to meet the screen, she saw Spencer shake his head.

"Maybe we didn't get the chance to 'have' you- to create you- but you… _you_ created our family. We got to choose you… and we'd never make a different choice… You are ours and you always will be. You are our daughter…" he told her, trying to keep his voice even, but failing.

Scarlett cuddled Norie closer, rocking her slightly. "Yeah… what Daddy said," she told her, giving Spencer a tearful smile.

Frannie had overheard some of the conversation from where she stood in the kitchen. She gave Penelope a glance and saw the tears in her eyes also.

"Mind if I butt in for a minute?" Fran asked, skirting the island countertop to stand behind the couch. She looked down at Scarlett and Norie. She could see the frustration on Spencer's face translated over the screen.

Scarlett looked up at her, tears in her eyes also. "You're not 'butting in' Mama. You are a part of our family too…" she told her. "Your thoughts matter…"

Frannie nodded, running her hand over Scarlett's hair. "Norie… who do I love more out of my children?" she asked the girl. She saw the question cause her to frown, and moved to sit along the back of the couch. She touched Noreen's face, bringing her eyes back to hers.

"It's a simple question, dear…" she said. "I'm just wondering, from your point of view… who do I love more? Is it Uncle Derek? Or Aunt Desi… or maybe Aunt Sarah?" she looked over to meet Scarlett's eyes. "Or is it your Mom?"

Norie shrugged, looking between the two women. "I don't think you love anyone more or less…"

"Hmm. Good. I was half afraid you'd say Uncle Derek…" Fran teased, poking the girl a little. When Norie giggled, she continued.

"The reason you love someone doesn't have anything to do with blood, little one. Love comes from the heart and the heart makes families. Love is not something you can run out of… You being a part of this family doesn't take anything away from us… it gives to us. Just like the new baby will too. Just like when Spencer became a part of us and just like Aunt Penny is a part of us. Family grows with love, pumpkin; it doesn't get detracted by it… Understand?"

Norie looked back at Fran, then to Scarlett and Spencer. "I guess I over-reacted. I'm sorry…" she sniffled.

"Don't be sorry, baby. I'm glad you talked to us…" Scarlett said, looking over the little girl's head to meet Spencer's eyes. "You can always tell Dad or me what you are feeling… okay?"

Spencer watched as Frannie leaned over giving both the girls a quick kiss before leaving the camera angle. He looked down at his watch quickly.

"You have to go, farm boy?" Scarlett asked, noticing the movement.

"No," he started to answer, then sighed. "Yeah… I've got to do something…"

Norie picked up her head from Scarlett's shoulder and touched the screen. "I love you Daddy…" she told him.

"I love you too…" he met Scarlett's gaze. "All three of you…" he said with a sad smile.

"We love you too Spencer," Scarlett touched her lips and then the screen. "We'll be here waiting when you get back…" she promised.

Reid waited until she signed off the link before tossing the laptop to the side and heading over to knock on Hotch's door.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Spencer unlocked the door, checking his watch. It was quarter after midnight. He sighed, scrubbing at his face tiredly. Tossing his keys onto the hall table, he dropped his satchel beside it and headed into the living room.

He saw sheets and blankets strewn across chairs and couches and over tables, turning the room into a giant tent. The sight brought a smile to his face.

"Welcome home, Spencer…" he turned to the direction of Fran's voice, seeing her sitting at the kitchen table, sipping on a mug of tea.

"Hey," he said quietly, not to disturb the campers. "I didn't expect anyone to be awake," he said. "Was there a problem?" he worried.

Frannie stood to go to his side. "No, no problem… I waited up for you, to say hello…" she smiled, reaching up to kiss his cheek.

Reid looked down at her, surprise on his face. "I wasn't even sure I was coming back tonight," he told her.

Fran touched his face lightly. "Spencer. I saw your face when Norie started crying earlier. I knew nothing would keep you from coming home tonight…" she patted his cheek.

"A mother knows her children," she told him as she moved past him to head towards Norie's room. Spencer blushed slightly at the comment, feeling the love in his heart fill to over flowing.

"Now, I'm going to turn in for the night. I think you can squeeze yourself into the tent with your girls, if you move the cats…" she teased.

"Okay, right- uh… Thanks, Ma…" he called her. Frannie turned to meet his eyes, her own heart filling with joy.

"You've just set a precedence…" she grinned. "I love you, sweetheart. Good night…"

"Good night…" Spencer replied, watching her leave. He crossed around the living room, avoiding all the furniture that had been rearranged to hold up the blankets. Reaching the opened side, he knelt down, peeking in at the pair of redheads sharing a pillow. He toed off his shoes and crawled in behind Scarlett, pulling her back against his body.

Scarlett turned in her sleep, smelling Reid's scent surround her. She opened her eyes when she felt his breath on her face.

"Spence…" she smiled sleepily, wrapping her arms around his neck. He didn't say anything, instead only met her lips with his…

"Mmm. Missed you too," Scarlett told him, pulling him down to kiss her again. Spencer saw her slight smile.

"Am I dreaming?" she asked him.

"No," he gave a soft chuckle, rubbing his nose against hers.

"Couldn't make it twenty four hours, could you?" she teased. He didn't answer, only shook his head 'no', kissing her once more.

"Good," she wrinkled her nose at him. "I couldn't either…" she pulled his bottom lip lightly between her teeth, taking their kiss deeper.

He felt her sigh as she snuggled back against his chest. Spencer settled in beside her, reaching his arm around Scarlett to include Norie in his embrace. He felt her little hand move to take his, squeezing his fingers.

"Hi, Daddy…" she said quietly.

"Hi baby…" he whispered back, holding her hand tighter. "Go back to sleep. I didn't mean to wake you both up…"

"Hmm. Best way to wake up ever, boy," Scarlett said, letting her eyes close as she felt Spencer kiss her temple.

"Will you be here when we get up?" Norie asked, not able to rest again until she knew that answer.

"Mmm-hmm…" he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. "I don't have to be back until the trial itself starts on Monday… ten a.m.," he told the girls.

As soon as he'd gotten off the Skype session earlier, he'd immediately gone to talk to Hotch about coming home for at least tonight. He'd explained to Aaron what had transpired with Norie and the supervisor had seen how upset Reid was…

"Hotch wants me to see if I can help make any headway with the case here, since there isn't much else to do there for right now," Spencer explained. "So, I still have to work, and I'll have to go back… but not for as long."

"Good…" Norie breathed out, pulling his arm more tightly around her. "We can sleep now then," she said simply.

"Yeah," he agreed, tucking his face into the crook of Scarlett's neck. He fell into a deep sleep, her scent filling is dreams.

Spencer woke a few hours later, to the sound of a rusty motor roaring in his ear. He jumped up when he felt something wet touch his cheek. Scarlett laughed as she pulled Walter off of Reid's chest.

"Knock it off, furball," she tucked the cat to her other side. "That's not exactly the most pleasant way to wake up the human," she teased, catching Spencer's wide eyes.

Norie pulled the cat against her chest, wrapping the blanket over him. "Sorry, Dad…" she apologized. "He usually only does that to me…"

Spencer scrubbed at his face, tucking his legs up to his chest as he sat under the cramped makeshift tent.

"It's alright," he said looking at his watch. It was almost nine already. "I've got to get moving anyway…"

"JJ texted me already," Scarlett told him. "She thinks she may have found the woman- Nina Moore- who'd visited Matloff…"

She climbed over Spencer, dropping a kiss to his cheek as she exited the blanket fort. She waited for him to unbend his longer frame out from underneath the tent before continuing.

"Good. We need a break in the case," he said, stretching the kinks out of his back.

"I'm hoping this is it. She was one of the ones we'd called- she denied being there or of knowing Matloff…"

"Sounds like she'd hiding something…"

"That's what I was thinking. JJ and I are going to confront her face to face. You want to come with us?" she asked.

"Yeah… I need a shower first," he looked down at his slept in clothes…

"Mmm. I do too," she winked at him, taking him by the hand and pulling him into the bedroom behind her.

Spencer saw her shut and lock the door…

"Scarlett… Norie and your mom are here," he warned her as she moved over towards him. He saw the glint in her eye.

"Yup- and we still have to get ready for work, boy… Or were you planning on abstaining for the whole summer while Norie stays?" she cocked an eyebrow at him, heading over to her closet to pull out her work clothes. She chose a more professional appearance, lifting out one of her suits for meeting with Nina, hanging it on the back of the bathroom door.

"No, I just…" Spencer blushed as she started the water and began stripping in front of him. "I just figured we'd be a bit more discreet in front of company, crazy girl…"

"Hmm. Discreet isn't a word in my vocabulary," she teased. "But you don't have to join me, farm boy. It's your call… I still need a shower, regardless," she grinned, stepping behind the curtain.

"Ugh…" Reid waited for just over a minute before pulling off his own clothes and joining her under the water. Scarlett looked up at him as she tipped her hair back under the spray.

"Showering together saves time and water," she reminded him with a quick smile.

"I don't know about that," he said, pulling her against him and kissing her. "This could take a while," he told her, reaching to lift her up around his hips.

"Umm, I thought we agreed no more shower wall sex," she giggled, hitching her legs tightly around him...

"I won't drop you…" he promised, kissing her again. Scarlett wrapped her arms around his neck, hanging on tightly as he braced her back against the wall.

Spencer covered her mouth with his, taking the sounds from her throat and muting them under his lips. He bent above her, holding her close to not lose his grip as their bodies came together…

Scarlett reached over his shoulder, pouring some shower gel into a loofa and began scrubbing his back.

"See?" she teased. "We can be efficient…"

"Keep the soap away from my hands," he warned. "You're going to make this a slippery situation…"

Setting her feet safely back to the floor of the tub, he nuzzled her neck lightly.

"Let's just wait until later…" he told her. He saw a pout move across her face and touched her lip. "No?"

"No…" she rinsed off his back, turning once under the spray herself and shut off the shower, dragging him into the bedroom.

"Scarlett- we are soaked…" he told her with a laugh as she pushed him backwards onto the bed. He landed with a slight bounce even as she climbed on top of him.

"Oh well- I'll do the damn laundry later," she smirked, adjusting herself to straddle his hips.

"Ah, God- right… later, fine…" he arched under her, feeling her begin to tense around him already. Spencer pulled himself into a sitting position, readjusting her on his lap so they were face to face while she rode him.

"I missed you," he told her, watching her eyes. "I missed touching you… feeling you in my arms, smelling you…"

"Mmm- missed you too," she said, rubbing her cheek against his. "I don't like missing you," she tucked her face into his neck, breathing in his scent. "It feels like half of me is gone when I can't touch you…"

They moved together more desperately now, as if unable to get enough of each other. The wet sheets became twisted under them and around them as they pulled at each other, lost to anything except getting closer.

Spencer captured her mouth with his when she cried out, trying to cover the sounds.

"Shh," he reprimanded her with a grin. Scarlett bit her lips together tightly bowing back as she came. He wrapped his arm around her hips, lifting her higher against him as he buried his face into her chest muffling his own voice.

"Shh," she teased back, keeping him close. Scarlett ran her hands over his still wet hair. The dripping strands fell across his forehead, mingling with sweat now.

"I think we need to shower again," Scarlett said kissing his jaw. "This first attempt didn't work out so well."

"Seemed like it worked fine to me," Spencer nudged her slightly. A grin moved over his face to wrinkle at the corners of his eyes.

"I'm not complaining, trust me," she agreed with a chuckle. "But I think I may still have shampoo in my hair," she wrinkled her nose and pulled a curl forward that still had soap clinging to it.

"Let me take care of that," Reid smiled, leading her back into the bathroom.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

JJ rang the doorbell of a pretty little house situated in a mid-scale neighborhood. Scarlett looked around, taking in the scene, filing it away in her head.

When a woman opened the door, Spencer held up his credentials for her to view.

"Nina Moore?" he asked. "We are with the FBI…"

The older woman looked between the three agents on her door step and sighed.

"Come in," she offered, moving back into her home, showing them to the living room.

"I had a feeling this day would come… especially after the phone call," she told them, sitting in a chair opposite JJ and Scarlett. Reid seated himself over to the edge of the couch, watching the woman closely.

"Why didn't you come forward?" he asked. He saw her shrug slightly.

"I was protecting my family," was her only explanation.

"They don't know?" JJ asked. Nina shook her head.

"I was a kid myself…" she said sadly. "You give away a child- I know it sounds cold-" she looked quickly from JJ's eyes to her obviously pregnant stomach…

"But you just want to forget about it… believe it never happened… So that's how I lived," she twisted her hands on her lap nervously.

"But you maintained a relationship with Brian," Scarlett stated. She felt badly for the woman's obvious pain, but they needed answers.

"Maintained? No- I only saw him once before the accident," Nina assured them.

"You never got the sense that maybe he was…"

"A murderer? Not in the slightest… I think it was probably, well- I mean from what I understand in the news- I think we met before it started…"

"And when was that meeting?" Reid asked.

"Five years ago. He just called me from out of the blue. The records were supposed to be sealed. I think he hired someone to find me."

"What did you talk about?" Scarlett wanted to know.

"He was interested in my family. My kids. He just wanted to call every once in a while, maybe come around for the holidays… But I couldn't. I could barely bring myself to look at him… I just…"

"You rejected him," Scarlett supplied. The woman nodded, tears in her eyes.

"Whatever he became, I can't help but feel it's my fault…"

JJ reached over and touched Nina's hands.

"You can't blame yourself for what he did," she told her.

"Why did you visit him at the hospital?" Spencer asked.

"Because it was safe, I suppose," she sighed. "I could be there for him, and no one had to know… When I would read to him and listen to his breathing, it felt right…"

They heard the front door open and a man's voice call out.

"Whose car is that out there?" the man, Nina's husband obviously, entered the living room, setting down his keys.

"Oh, hello… who is this?" he looked at Nina.

"Excuse me," she said to the agents, taking her husband's hand and heading out of the room.

"That's a lot to explain," Scarlett said softly, looking up to meet Spencer's eyes.

"She rejected him. That was the stressor," Spencer said to them.

"She's just lucky he took 'no' for an answer," JJ stated.

"It could have been a lot worse if he'd pressed the issue," Scarlett agreed.

Something clicked in Reid's brain with that comment.

"Maybe he did…" he said, moving toward the room where Nina had headed.

Scarlett and JJ looked at each other and followed.

"Mrs. Moore…" Spencer interrupted her conversation. "Did Matloff ever send you anything? Any gifts?"

They saw the stricken look in her eyes as she nodded. "Come…" she told them, heading upstairs to her bedroom.

Scarlett stood beside the woman as she pulled a small jewelry box out of the back of a dresser drawer.

"I wanted to throw them away, but I couldn't…" she explained, handing the box to Reid.

He opened the box, showing Scarlett the contents. They each immediately recognized the items that had been taken from the victim's bodies. Spencer nodded to Mrs. Moore.

"I know this is a lot right now," he told the woman. "But these will help us put away a murderer. You'll be asked to provide testimony about how you received them… but you have to know, your help will give closure for many families," he said gently.

Nina stiffened her spine and looked each of them in the eye. "I will do what is necessary," she told them. "But, now, if you don't mind- I really need to talk to my family…"

Scarlett nodded. "We understand," she said as they followed her back down the staircase and to the front door.

"We will be in touch," JJ said, meeting Nina's eyes once more.

"I'll be ready," the older woman nodded, closing the door behind them.

Spencer pulled out his phone to call Hotch as they walked away from the Moore's home.

"Hotch… It's me. Yeah- we are just leaving Nina Moore's home… I'm putting you on speaker…" he said as he climbed passenger seat of the SUV.

"Did you find out anything?" he heard Hotch's response.

"She had the trophies… we've got them. She's agreed to testify…" Scarlett replied.

"Good- how fast can you get it here so we can enter it in for evidence?" he asked.

"We can drive up now," Spencer offered, looking at Scarlett's nod.

"We'll see you shortly, then. Good job guys…" Hotch disconnected the call.

Scarlett looked back into the rearview mirror. "Do you want me to drop you off at home?" she asked JJ.

"If you don't mind," JJ stated. She rubbed her stomach lightly. "Baby's playing soccer today- if you don't need me to come along, I'd rather just go home and rest…"

"No problem," Scarlett smiled back at her friend. "We can handle it. You take a break…"

"Thanks," JJ sat back against the seat, resting her eyes a bit. "It's getting harder to sleep at night," she said, adjusting her position again as the baby flipped around.

"I can't imagine…" Scarlett shook her head. "I guess I'll find out soon enough though…"

"Oh, you will. Big fun, especially once you finally do get comfortable and the baby kicks your bladder…" JJ snorted.

"Uh-oh- do you need a pit stop before we get on the highway?" Scarlett asked.

"Ugh. Not yet- I think I can make it home…"

Spencer looked between the two women, taking in the conversation. "I can handle dropping off the evidence, if you'd rather go home too…" he offered to Scarlett.

She grinned at him. "I'm fine farm boy," she said. "I'll take the ride with you. I'm not ready to let you out of my sight yet," she admitted. "Monday will be soon enough…"

"Right," he frowned a little, not happy with that thought. He reached over and took Scarlett's hand, not noticing JJ's soft smile over his shoulder as Scarlett threaded her fingers through his.

Once they dropped JJ off, Spencer switched places with Scarlett, opting to drive out to Roanoke. They made pretty good time, reaching the DA's office to meet with Hotch and Cece just around lunch time.

The DA took possession of the jewelry box, handing it over to her assistant.

"I don't have to tell you how great of a break this is for the case…" she looked over at Spencer and Scarlett.

"Whatever we can do to help…" Spencer stated, taking the woman's hand and squeezing it quickly. Hildebrant looked startled for a moment, unused to Reid being comfortable with even a simple handshake.

"I appreciate you saving me the trip to retrieve these," Hotch told Reid. "I'll see you back here on Monday…"

Spencer nodded, following them back out of the building.

"Do you want to join us for lunch?" Cece asked the couple. Reid saw Scarlett's face tighten slightly at the thought of having to endure the scents of a restaurant.

"Uh, no thank you," he replied for the both of them. "We have something to do back home," he stated. He put his arm around Scarlett's waist, giving her a quick squeeze. Cece noticed the interaction, but didn't say anything until the couple moved away. She looked up at Aaron.

"Ah, so that's what's changed so much with your Dr. Reid," she grinned at her friend.

Hotch gave her a quick smile as he watched Reid open the passenger door for Scarlett, helping her into the vehicle.

"I don't even think he notices how much he's changed since she's entered his life," he admitted.

"Mmm- you know what they say, though… Behind every good man is a pushing woman," she teased, nudging Hotch with her shoulder.

Aaron shook his head and laughed, following her towards a local deli.

Spencer pulled off the highway about halfway home, to stop for something to eat for themselves. He brought burgers and French fries out to a small table set outside of the restaurant, away from the kitchen smells.

Scarlett crossed her ankles over his as he sat on the other side of the table in front of her.

"Thanks," she said as he set the food in front of her. "I can't believe what a pain in the ass I have become," she muttered, irritated with herself over the special accommodations that were being given to her.

"What do you mean?" Spencer scowled slightly at her.

"I mean, we should have been able to just have lunch with Hotch and the DA," she complained. "Instead you are playing waiter to me and I feel like a freaking prima donna…" she sniped.

Reid rolled his eyes. "You aren't a prima donna… and grabbing hamburgers to carry outside isn't that big of a deal, crazy girl. As far as not having lunch with Hildebrant," he shrugged, "I look at it as we are two hours closer to home now by not having to eat there," he grinned. "Sounds like a bonus to me…"

Scarlett met his grin. "Okay- I'll give you that," she laughed, reaching over to take his hand. "But I'm still not happy about being catered to…"

He looked away for a moment and shrugged.

"I'm kinda liking it," he admitted softly, looking back up to her eyes. "I enjoy taking care of you…"

Scarlett wrinkled her nose at him. "I can't promise you I'm not going to become bitchy," she warned him. "Especially after watching JJ go through it first. I'm afraid I won't handle things as gracefully as she is," she sighed, letting him know the concerns that were filling her head.

"I'm not a restful soul, Reid…" she stated. "I'm worried about behaving badly."

Spencer cocked his head to the side, eyeing her up quizzically. "Seriously?" he asked. "I've never- it's just…" he stopped to think of what he wanted to say.

"You always seem to have your own sense of peace," he finally said. "It's hard for me to think of you being worried about that…"

"I work really hard at the illusion," she scoffed. "Promise me you'll help keep me grounded, farm boy? I don't want to drive you or myself crazy over the next few months. And I already feel things poking at me… I'm already trying my patience with myself…"

"I've got a lot of patience Katy. We'll handle it together," he told her running his fingers over her knuckles. "I promise…"

He squeezed her fingers lightly and pushed her hand towards the food. "Now eat something, before I start annoying you with my incessant nagging…" he told her, reminding her that he could be a pain in the ass sometimes also. She grinned over at his smile.

"Alright, alright," she laughed. "Point taken," she teased, biting into her meal.

Spencer reached over with a fry, holding it out to her. He snagged a quick kiss before letting her grab it. Her throaty chuckle sent a fissure of pleasure up his spine.

"I love you Spence," she told him.

"As I love you Katy…"


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Spencer sat in the back of the courtroom once again on Monday morning, watching Matloff.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you are here to bring justice to the families of three beautiful young women," Hildebrant began her opening statements.

Once the defense began his cross examinations, Spencer adjusted himself slightly so he could also watch Darci Corbett's father. He knew that the defense was trying to poke holes into their case by casting doubt on the evidence that was so far unavailable, and by calling profiling a 'psuedo-science'.

Reid listened to Hotch give testimony, knowing that the evidence that they had offered in on Saturday wouldn't be brought up to the jury until tomorrow, when Nina Moore would be present. For the most part, today's information was just leading the jury into that evidence and allowing the defense its cross.

Hotch carried his side over eloquently as expected, being a former attorney himself. Even upon the defenses pushing, when they tried to discredit profiling as Reid expected, Aaron held himself in check, calling the lawyer to the mat by profiling _him_ \- and making Spencer grin when Hotch was right…

The defense attorney eyed up Hotch as he slid his blackberry into his pocket.

"Nothing further, your honor," the man said instead of allowing himself to be the proof that Hotch's profile was dead on…

"Wise decision," the judge called court for the day. "We reconvene tomorrow at nine a.m.," he stated.

Spencer saw Mr. Corbett leave the courtroom. He picked up his bag from the floor and hurried to follow behind him.

"Mr. Corbett…" he called out as the man headed through the hallway. The father stopped, turning back to look at Reid.

"Hey… uh- I just wanted to make sure you knew that the cross examination wasn't as bad as it seemed," he told the older man. Spencer wasn't allowed to offer insight into the upcoming evidence they would be introducing, but he wanted to reassure the man. Things today hadn't sounded too promising…

"I'm not worried," Corbett told him, seeming very calm.

"Oh, good…" Spencer nodded, watching the man closely, as he had in the courtroom.

"I have a better understanding of things now…"

"Understanding?" Reid asked.

Mr. Corbett nodded, meeting Spencer's eyes for just a moment before looking away. Spencer wondered about the subtle change in his demeanor since Friday.

"After Darci died, I started seeing a therapist. I had a lot of guilt, you know? I thought that I should have been there for her… Saved her somehow, I don't know…" he shrugged.

"Anyway, this guy, this shrink… he always brought it back to control. He said I was going to have to accept the fact that there was always going to be things in life that I couldn't control."

Spencer nodded, feeling empathy for the man. "Well, I think that's wise," he offered.

Corbett met Reid's eyes more fully now.

"I realize that I have no say over what goes on in that courtroom…" he kept holding his gaze. "See you later, Spencer…" he said as he turned to exit the building.

Reid frowned, his brows knitting together in concern. He realized from the other man's mannerisms that something was going on in Corbett's mind, and it told him much more than the words the man had spoken.

Unable to do anything more about it at the moment, he decided to keep an eye on Corbett more closely tomorrow as he waited for Hotch to head back to their hotel. They were supposed to meet with the DA over dinner tonight to discuss Ms. Moore's testimony along with closing arguments…

He sighed deeply, praying that the case didn't go into yet another day, but resolving himself to the fact that it just might. Pulling out his phone, he called Scarlett, to tell her about the day.

"Hello, boy…" he heard her voice over the line and rubbed his hand over his heart.

"Hello, girl…" he replied.

Scarlett heard the slight strain in his voice almost immediately. "What is wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"Nothing…" he told her. "Not really… I just had a conversation with Darci Corbett's father…" he told her about what he'd noticed, explaining his unsettled feeling.

Scarlett listened to Spencer's concerns. "I agree, sweetheart. Keep an eye on him. Don't let him do anything that he'll regret," she told him. "But don't try to take him on yourself, if it comes to that… get back up, understand?"

"Yeah, I know… I won't…"

"Promise me, boy. Please?" Spencer heard the worry in her voice.

"Hey- I promise, crazy girl. I'm not going to wrestle the guy… just talk to him. It's just a gut feeling anyway," he admitted.

Scarlett breathed out a tense breath. "Never discount your intuition boy…" she told him. "You have it for a reason…"

"I know. You taught me how to trust myself, Katy. I won't forget…" he said softly and decided to change the subject.

"What time are you and Norie meeting Cooper today?" he asked.

"I'm picking up Coop at his hotel after work, before heading home. Mama is making dinner and we are all going to hit some of the sites later. Cooper wanted to take us out for dinner, but, uh… no- for obvious reasons…" she laughed. "So Mama saved me on that one, insisting she'd cook."

"Sounds good. I really am sorry I couldn't make it back tonight…"

"Spence, stop. You know I understand."

"I know, but I still wish…"

He heard her breathe out softly over the line.

"I know. I wish too. But we will be fine…"

"If he tries to touch your butt, break his wrist for me," Spencer teased. He heard her chuckle.

"Will do farm boy…"

Reid thought for a moment. "Don't let him swing you around too much," he warned her. "And tell him not to squish you with his bear hugs… and…"

Scarlett laughed. "Spencer… don't worry. Coop won't do anything to hurt the baby… As soon as I mention I'm pregnant he'll probably look at me like I've grown a second head and stay over five hundred yards away from me anyway."

"Ah… good. Tell him before you pick him up then…" Reid groused, slightly jealous that Cooper was going to be able to hold her today, when he couldn't.

She heard the snarky tone in his voice. "Spence…" her own tone took on exasperation.

Spencer sighed heavily. "I can't help being jealous, Katy. I'm trying… I swear… but…"

"But?"

He scrubbed at his face when he saw Hotch coming out of the courthouse.

"I'll keep working on it," he promised her. "Hotch is here now…"

"Alright, farm boy. Just- try harder. You have no reason to be jealous of a friend," she reminded him. "You are the one who has my heart."

"No- I know, it's not that," he stated quickly. "It's more that 'he's there and I'm here' type of jealous. Spending the day with my family," he pouted. "I'll get over it…"

"Umm... Like your hoodie?" she teased.

Spencer let out a slight chuckle. "Yeah sort of…" he admitted.

"Okay. Tell Hotch I'll pass on what happened at the trial to the team," she told him. "And I'll talk to you later, lover."

"Okay. Later. Scarlett?"

"What?"

"I miss you."

"Miss you too, boy. See you soon…"

Scarlett closed out the call, heading into Rossi's office to give him the update on where they'd closed out the trial for today. When she told him about how Hotch had turned the tables on the defense lawyer, he chuckled.

"Of course he did fine. I taught him everything he knows about giving testimony. I just wish they could have introduced the jewelry and Moore's accounts already. They could have closed out the case today," Dave stated.

"The wheels of justice turn slowly," Scarlett sighed. "They had to submit the evidence first…"

"Seems ridiculous… but it is what it is I suppose…" Rossi agreed. "How's Reid holding up?" he asked Scarlett with a grin.

"Ahh- he's fine. Just, homesick, I guess you could call it. With my mom and Norie being here it's even harder- he wants to be home with his family. I don't blame him. I want him here too," she pouted.

"I didn't say that I blamed him… Didn't I overhear you telling Morgan that your friend Cooper was in town, too?" Dave said, a sly grin moving onto his face. Scarlett stuck her tongue out at her friend's teasing.

"Not you too, Dave…" she laughed. "Poor Spence. He doesn't know how to handle being jealous…"

"Or quite secure enough to not be in the first place," Rossi reminded her gently.

"I know. Trust me, I'm cutting him plenty of slack, and I'll keep doing it. Cooper really is a good friend. I just wish he didn't find so much fun in baiting Reid. Put the two of them together and it is like dealing with children fighting over their favorite toys…"

"You aren't a toy Scarlett. Don't let them put you in the middle…"

"I'm already there. I've warned them both- Cooper especially- but he _never_ listens to me. I don't know how to take myself out of the equation," she frowned. "I even told Cooper that if he ever crosses the line with me that I'll cut him right out of my life. He's either Spencer's _and_ my friend- or nothing… And so as Spencer's friend, he thinks he has a right to tease him, because he teases all his friends. That's just how Cooper is…"

"I'm sure you've explained that to Reid?"

"A multitude of times. But then Cooper will do something silly like swing me over his shoulder and smack my ass, and Spencer will get all fidgety…" Scarlett told him with a slight scowl.

"Ahh- well, I can't say that I blame Reid on that one, Scarlett. If another man was playing around with my wife, I think I'd be more than 'fidgety'. Especially since from what I understand, Cooper had told Reid that he wanted a relationship with you?"

Scarlett twisted a piece of her hair nervously. She shut Dave's office door and sat down opposite him at his desk.

"Cooper said that- but honestly Dave, I don't think he meant it. He has no idea who I am, not like Spencer does… not even as well as you do, to be honest. He isn't even aware of my h-SAM memory or anything about my past. I think that Cooper- he just doesn't have a clue what he wants… so he grasped at something he couldn't have, just to say he'd tried. Do you know what I mean?" she asked, trying to explain why she didn't just avoid Cooper all together, for Spencer's benefit.

"He's a good guy. He really does deserve to be happy… and he needs a strong woman- but it would never have been me… I'm not as strong as Cooper thinks I am, or even as much as Spencer thinks I am for that matter," she admitted. "Everyone gives me more credit than I deserve…"

"And you tend to sell yourself a little short, Scarlett," Rossi grinned. "But- how long is Cooper going to be in town for?"

"Until Thursday. He's got a second interview with Homeland Security today, and another follow up for tomorrow… Why?" she asked.

"Hmm- well, I was just thinking that if the case closes tomorrow, we'd probably deserve a celebratory night out… and it so happens that a friend of mine is also in town… a friend of the team's really. It may be interesting to introduce Emily to Cooper…" he gave Scarlett an evil grin.

"Prentiss?" Scarlett picked up on the name. "That Emily? She's in from England?"

"The one and only… just arriving today according to JJ." Dave smiled. Scarlett pulled up everything she remembered hearing about the other woman from her friends. A slow wicked grin also moved onto her face.

"Ohhh- yes. We definitely have to celebrate Emily being in town…"

"And if she happens to be 'strong enough' to take Cooper off your hands?" Rossi teased.

"God bless her…" Scarlett laughed. "And I think Spencer would kiss her feet…" she added with a giggle.

Dave laughed. "Alright, let's plan something then for say Wednesday. That way if the case doesn't close tomorrow, we'll still have some wiggle room."

"I'll tell Penny. She's going to be thrilled that Emily is in. I'm really looking forward to meeting her too," Scarlett added.

"She's here for the week on vacation. From what I've heard she's looking forward to meeting you too. I think she referred to you as the one who finally 'figured out' Reid."

Scarlett tilted her head a bit at that. She knew from the others and from Spencer talking about her that Emily was like another sister in the team, and one sorely missed. But she wondered why someone so close would have to think Spencer needed to be figured out…

"It's a compliment Red," Rossi grinned. "If you'd had seen Spencer years ago when Emily was with us, you'd understand. He's changed a lot since you've come into his life."

Scarlett scowled at that. "I never wanted to change him…"

"You didn't change him. He changed. He grew… it happens to all of us, especially if we are lucky enough to find the right person. I'm sure that Cooper would say you've changed since being with Reid…"

"Oh. Well- yeah," she admitted, seeing his point there.

"Then let's play a little matchmaking and maybe the 'chance' meeting between Cooper and Emily will make a few more changes," he winked.

"Hmm. From what I've been told, Coop won't know what hit him," she giggled.

"Most of us rarely do," Rossi added with a grin. "Poor blind saps that we are, fools for the love of a beautiful woman…"

Scarlett rolled her eyes at his drama. "Alright…" she laughed. "I'll talk to Penny now and see what she suggests for Wednesday. I'll let you know…" she stood up to leave his office. Looking back over her shoulder, she gave Rossi a wide smile. "Thanks for listening," she said.

"Anytime, kiddo," Dave said.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Spencer stood outside the courthouse the next morning awaiting the arrival of the transport van which was bringing Matloff to his trial. They were running a bit late he thought as he glanced at his watch again.

He noticed Mr. Corbett sitting in his car as the penitentiary vehicle pulled into the lot. When he saw Corbett leave his car, heading towards the van, he moved quickly to head him off.

 _Shit_ … he thought to himself trying to formulate exactly what he wanted to say to Corbett to stop this…

"Mr. Corbett," he walked right up to the man, standing in front of him and blocking him from getting to Matloff.

"It won't help…" he told the father. "Think about what this will do. Think about Darci…" he spoke quickly, grabbing the man's arm and steering him away from Matloff.

"I am thinking about her!" Corbett ground out, still watching Matloff.

"If she knew what you were about to do, and depending on your belief system, maybe she does- Do you think she'd want this?" he asked.

"Give me the gun…" he warned Corbett, giving his arm a quick squeeze for emphasis. "You want him to suffer, but he'll be dead. He won't feel anything, you'll be in prison and you will regret it, believe me," he stated, his voice turning hard.

Corbett finally looked into Reid's eyes.

"I'm already in prison…" he said, his voice trembling. He lifted his hand away from his jacket pocket and Spencer reached in to remove the revolver.

"How did you know?" Corbett asked.

Reid transferred the weapon into the waistband of his pants. He looked into the other man's eyes.

"Your affect, your behavior… you were too calm yesterday," he told him. "You called me by my first name…" Spencer bit his lips together, his nerves finally calming down after getting the firearm from Corbett.

"If you are so good at predicting things, how come you couldn't have stopped him before he took my Darci?" Corbett asked, his voice rough with emotion.

Spencer held the man's gaze, wishing he had an answer for that. He blew out a tense breath instead and looked around quickly.

"Look, I shouldn't say anything… but there is some new evidence," he admitted to Corbett.

"What evidence?" Corbett asked.

"Come inside. We are introducing it today…" Spencer told him. He turned towards the courthouse, waiting for the man to follow.

Inside the courtroom, Hildebrant started the session by calling Nina Moore to the stand.

"What is your relationship to the defendant?" she asked the woman.

"I am his birth mother…" Nina responded.

Cece questioned Nina a bit, leading up to the receipt of the physical evidence they now had against Matloff.

"I received an envelope with no note, nothing… it was a necklace- the return address was from Roanoke, where I knew Brian lived. About two months later I got another, then a watch- I thought they were estate jewelry," Nina cried on the stand.

"Your Honor," Cece addressed the judge. "The people offer into evidence exhibit's 'F' through 'H'. Are these the items you received in the mail?" she asked Nina.

"Yes."

"And the watch in this bag- do you see it in this photograph?" Hildebrant asked, holding up Darci's picture.

"Yes, that's it."

"Let the record reflect that the witness has identified the watch in this photograph as worn by murder victim Darci Corbett," Cece showed the evidence to the jury.

Spencer saw Mr. Corbett's face contort in pain as he sat straighter in his seat.

"I have nothing further," Hildebrant stated. Matloff's lawyer stood.

"We ask the court for some time to review, your Honor…" he asked.

"Allowed. Court is adjourned until 9am tomorrow for cross to allow the defense time with the new evidence…"

Reid groaned inwardly at the new delay… he caught Hotch's eyes and saw his supervisor shrug slightly. He'd hoped they'd be heading home today also…

Aaron stood after the defense left, looking over at the desk where Matloff had been taking notes. He saw a tear drop smudge on the writing. Heading out into the hallway after the DA, he caught up with her.

"I don't want to jinx this, but after today I may owe your team a round of drinks," she told him. Hotch looked over to Reid, drawing him into the conversation.

"I think Matloff is getting his memory back. There was a tear on his notes…" Hotch told them.

"He was reacting when his mother was on the stand. I saw he was trying to keep it hidden…" Reid agreed.

"You don't have an emotional response like that without a connection…" Aaron stated.

"I don't know if it will even matter…" Cece shrugged.

"Don't you want to know who you are putting away?" Reid asked. He noticed the court guards start converging into the back of the court house.

"We are heading there now…" one guard was saying.

"What's going on?" Cece asked, watching the responders move quickly.

Spencer caught Hotch's eyes in concern. They followed some of the guards as an alarm started ringing.

Heading back into the holding cells, Hotch spoke to the other guards around them.

"What happened?" he asked them.

Reid noticed the female guard who had brought in Matloff and moved over to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, noting the gash on the guard's head as another guard held a towel and pressure to the wound.

She looked up at Spencer. "He got my gun," she warned him, her eyes apologetic at the escape.

Reid nodded once, his lips thinning into a tight line. "We'll get him back," he told her, moving away to make room for the medics who now entered the cell.

He headed back to Hotch's side. They left the building going outside to meet up with the local police who had arrived on scene.

Hotch spoke to the chief.

"He stuck a gun in this law clerk's face and stole her car… late model Nissan. We have an APB out for it. We closed off all the roads," the officer told them.

"Don't forget access roads, he knows them all," Hotch reminded him.

"You know this guy, right? Where will he be heading?"

"It all depends on who he is," Spencer stated. He saw Hotch move through the crowd quickly after Matloff's lawyer.

"Hey- Hey!" Hotch called out to the man. "Did you know?" he asked the attorney.

"Know what?"

"You talked to him every day! Did you know he was getting his memory back?" Hotch practically shouted at the other man.

"I don't know what you are talking about…"

"Hotch," Spencer interrupted him. "Hotch! He can't help us. Matloff is a paranoid personality. Even if he was aware he wouldn't have told anyone," he reminded him.

"Get over to the jail and take a look at his cell. Just look for anything- anything that could give us any clue as to where he could be headed…" Hotch told Reid.

"Right- alright…" Spencer turned away to their SUV. He pulled his phone out, connecting it to the Bluetooth system as he called Scarlett to inform her as to what was going on…

He heard her voice come over the line as he drove away.

"Hotch has everyone on conference boy," she told him. "I'll put you on speaker…"

"Assuming he's got his memory back, where is he heading?" Hotch's voice entered the conversation.

"The obvious answer is his birth mother," Morgan stated. "All of his victims were brunettes just like she is… Typology suggests he was projecting his rage at her."

"She's with us in protective custody," Hotch said. "That's not an option…"

"If he doesn't have a specific target, he'll either run or go on a spree," Rossi interjected.

"Did we do this? The brain test? Did we trigger those memories?" Scarlett asked, chewing on the corner of her thumb in nervous concern.

"He is who he is, Red…" Rossi soothed her conscience. "It had nothing to do with us…"

Spencer heard the worry in Scarlett's voice and silently agreed with Dave. "I'm heading into the prison now," he told them over the speaker. "I'll call you back if I find anything of use…"

Scarlett took the phone off speaker and put it to her ear. "Alright boy," she said softly. "Find something…"

"I'll try," he said. He disconnected the call and headed up the walkway to the gates in a rush. He flashed his credentials and explained the situation to the guard. Another guard met him at the next set of gates.

"Dr. Reid? We were told to expect you. SSA Ryan called ahead and we've already cleared you to save time. I'll take you to Matloff's cell…" the man said.

Spencer wondered briefly when Scarlett had gotten the chance to talk to the guards, and followed them quickly, grateful for the expedience.

When they reached the cell where Matloff had spent his time since recovering from the coma, Reid set to work, pulling on a pair of gloves and searching hurriedly through the cell.

Under the thin mattress of the cot, he found a legal pad with writing on it. He read over the words, committing the text to his memory, flipping through the pages.

The fourth page in, he saw a pencil drawing. He studied it closely as he pulled out his phone once again.

Scarlett answered the line as she paced the office floor once again. Rossi picked his head up to look at her when he recognized the ringtone as Reid's.

"Go boy… what'cha got?" she asked in rush, eager to help.

"A picture… he drew a picture on one of the legal pads he was given during the trial… I'm texting it to you now. Do your thing beautiful and tell us where it is… It has to be where he's going…"

Spencer noticed the strange look on the face of the guard at his right. He put the phone on speaker, blushing slightly as he realized he'd used the endearment while talking to Scarlett on work hours. He shrugged at himself and met the guard's eyes.

"Uh- Agent Ryan has an eidetic visual memory. She studied the maps of the area on the case file. If this is anywhere in that area, she'll know in a minute," he explained.

The younger guard just grinned. "You call all your coworkers beautiful?" he teased a bit, noticing the agent's blush.

"Yeah… uh, no… Agent Ryan is my wife," Spencer shrugged again, embarrassed. "And she is…"

"I'll take your word for it…" the guard chuckled.

Reid blew out a tense breath, reminding himself to get a better handle on this 'work versus personal life' vocabulary.

Back at Quantico, Dave watched Scarlett bring up the hand drawn picture on her phone. He noticed her eyes take on a faraway look to them as they tracked back and forth over pictures she was seeing in her mind's eye. When her gaze cleared, she met his look.

"Got it…" she startled a bit when she turned quickly and was face to face with Rossi. He grinned and she smiled back at his teasing look, stuck her tongue out at him before turning to the map on the board.

Scarlett pointed out a spot on the map, lifting the phone to her ear.

"Linville Falls, pretty boy. It's very close to the area where you found Darci Corbett's body…"

"I'll call Hotch," Rossi offered.

"Okay- I'll meet him there," Spencer said, turning to leave the cell.

"I am about halfway between there and you," Scarlett responded. "I'll meet you in the middle…" she said, figuring her knowledge of the area would come in handy for the search.

"Right. See you there," Reid said, disconnecting the call.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Spencer pulled the big SUV in behind the line of local police cars that had blocked the access road closest to the falls. He grabbed his Kevlar vest from the passenger seat as he opened the door, trying to pull it on while he hurried towards where he spotted Hotch.

"Any sign of him yet?" he called out. Scarlett picked her head up from the map at the sound of his voice.

"Locals found the stolen car just up the line," she told him as she met him halfway. Reaching up, she readjusted the Velcro strap on his left shoulder as he struggled with it.

"Thanks," he said quietly, meeting her eyes for just a moment before turning his attention back to the case.

"Anytime, sweet boy," she grinned, speaking just as quietly.

"We're going to follow Agent Ryan in," Hotch was saying as they returned to the front of the car where the maps were spread out. "She has the side trails memorized and has a theory as to where he's heading. We go in quiet… he may have taken a hostage, so we won't risk that he would kill her…"

The officers geared up following the instructions. Scarlett saw the momentary hesitation in Spencer's face before he covered it up and fell in line behind her.

"I would have thought he'd be heading out of town," one of the officers spoke to Hotch.

"He's looking for something…"

"For what?" the man asked.

"Himself…"

Picking the trail that she knew would lead them directly into the base of the falls; Scarlett kept up her guard, searching for footprints or signs somebody had been through the area recently. She felt Hotch at her left shoulder and could see Reid out of the corner of the eye to her right. They both were covering her…

She wanted to sigh a bit at that, but considered herself lucky instead. A girl could do worse than have these men at her side.

They rounded a bend in the trailhead that opened into the lake at the bottom of the falls and she stopped short, giving a hand signal to those behind her to hold up. She stepped backwards between Hotch and Spencer.

"I saw him… he's sitting at the edge of the pool and he's holding someone. I saw dark hair…" she warned them. Hotch pulled back a bit more, under the cover of the trees.

"Glasses…" Hotch reached behind her and looked through the field binoculars over to where he could make out where Matloff sat.

"He's there- it's him," he agreed. "And whoever he has isn't moving…"

"Let's go," the officer in charge started to set his men towards the knoll.

"No! Wait!" Spencer stopped them. "If we rush him, he may kill her and himself…"

"How do you want to play this?" Scarlett asked, directing her question to Hotch.

"Send two of the snipers to higher ground. High and wide… I'm going to go in and try to reason with him…"

"You think he's going to try to shoot his way out?" Spencer asked, darting a quick look at Scarlett.

"No, but if he does, I don't want to be the only gun in there," Aaron met their concerned gazes.

"You won't be," Scarlett assured him, looking back at the officer behind her. She took his rifle and gauged the distance. "I'll be the wide, on the right," she informed Hotch, assuring him she would personally cover his back.

Hotch nodded, watching as she moved over to the copse of trees that gave her a clear shot. He knew Reid followed, moving to the lower ground as he approached Matloff.

Spencer looked beyond where Hotch had stopped to see Scarlett clearly between the trees. She held her position steady, the rifle trained on the back of Matloff's head. The only movement she made was to nod quickly at Reid as he mimicked her position from his angle below her, holding his service weapon steady.

"Brian! I want you to show me your hands," Hotch raised his voice towards Matloff. When the man didn't respond he tried once more.

"Hands now Brian!"

"Stop, please! Stop right there," Matloff cried out over his shoulder.

Spencer could see better now from the lower angle when Matloff moved that the woman he held in his arms was a corpse. The body was badly decomposed, enough that he could determine even from this distance she'd been buried for many years. A glance to Hotch's face told him that his supervisor had already deduced the same.

"Who was she?" Aaron asked Matloff.

The man's voice choked on his tears. "She was my first," he said, his voice carrying on the wind to reach Scarlett's ears also. Moving her position slightly, she travelled through the trees to get a better view of the woman while keeping the man in her sights. Once she saw the body, she raised her eyes to Spencer's and saw him nod. This changed the threat. Matloff hadn't taken a hostage. The only threat now was to Hotch or the possibility of suicide by cop.

"The minute my feet hit the ground, I knew right where to find her," Brian called out, grief clear in his tone.

"I did it," he raised his voice louder. "I killed them all!"

"You remember," Hotch stated.

Matloff nodded, tears streaming down his cheeks now.

"I remember, everything. Every tiny detail. But it's still not real- like the memories belong to someone else…"

"Maybe in some way they do," Hotch told him. "But you still need to pay for what you did…"

"If I'm going to be put to death, I might as well end it right here!" Matloff shouted, raising the gun to his own head.

Scarlett trained her sights to his hand, prepared to disarm him if necessary.

"Brian! The court may show you mercy, but you have to earn it," Hotch told him. "If you believe you are a different person, then do the right thing!"

Spencer watched Matloff consider what Hotch was saying. When Matloff nodded slowly, moving the gun away from his temple and tossing it away, he felt the adrenaline rush move out of his system. He looked up across the way to meet Scarlett's eyes and saw the relief that mirrored his own.

Moving quickly behind Hotch, he took the discarded weapon even as Scarlett came over towards them to help take Matloff into custody. Aaron nodded to both of them as they led Brian back up the trail.

Hotch ordered the one officer to call in the coroner to take in the body that Matloff had identified.

Once they had the prisoner secured in the back of the squad car, Scarlett stepped between Spencer and Hotch as they headed back to their vehicles.

"Well, boys, I wish I could say it's been fun," she told them as she headed towards her own SUV. "Good luck with the DA… I'll have my reports on your desk by the time you get back," she nodded towards Hotch.

"Tomorrow is early enough," Hotch responded, looking between her and Reid. "Go home…" he told her. "I'm hopeful that we'll be heading that way ourselves, tonight," he added with a half-smile.

"Sounds promising," Scarlett agreed, catching Reid's eye before she passed behind him. Spencer looked over at Hotch quickly and saw him nod. Moving quickly, he caught up with her as she opened the door.

"Hey, cutie," she grinned up into his face.

"Hey yourself," he smiled back, looking around before dropping a kiss to her lips.

Scarlett noted the worry lines between his brows. "What's bothering you, babe?" she asked, boosting herself up into the driver's seat.

"Nothing… I just hope we close this out now and get home tonight," the furrow in his brow deepened. "I don't sleep well without you…" he admitted.

Scarlett let her thumbs trace lightly over the dark circles under his eyes. "Me neither," she admitted softly. "So I'll be waiting up," she kissed him one more before settling in behind the wheel. Spencer closed the door, stepping back as she turned over the engine.

He watched her pull away before making a half jog over to where Hotch was waiting for him.

"You ready to close this up and head home?" Aaron gave Spencer a brief grin.

"Definitely," he breathed out, meeting Hotch's smile. "And maybe tomorrow we'll be sitting in the sidelines for a soccer game…" he added.

Hotch's grin grew wider. "That's the plan."

They headed back into town as evening began to fall. Spencer watched the sunset slip behind the buildings as he took the steps that led into the DA's office. He followed Hotch's lead and began packing up their files from the case into boxes.

Cece entered the room with a huge grin on her face.

"Well that's it!" she announced. "Matloff is pleading out. It's over," she gave a sigh of relief while she scanned the pictures along the board.

"Congratulations," Hotch told her.

"Well, I couldn't have done it without you," she stated. Her smile widened. "First round is on me…" she offered, picking up some of the files from her desk.

Hotch saw the tightened look move into Reid's eyes. Sparing the younger agent some grief he turned to Cece.

"No, we are going to have to take a rain check… We still have a long drive ahead of us," Hotch told her.

The DA smiled. "Another time then," she nodded, catching the look between the agents.

With another glance to Spencer, she noted the look of thanks that crossed his face, along with relief. It was obvious Reid was in as much of a hurry to get home as Hotch was- so the next statement came as somewhat of a surprise.

"If you don't mind… I'd like to take Darci's watch back to her father… I could drop it off on the way home…" he glanced at the DA then Hotch, apologizing for the delay.

Hotch nodded in understanding. "Sign it out of evidence. It won't take us too far out of the way to drop it off," he stated.

Hildebrant picked up her purse and reached over to shake both of their hands. "Thanks again," she said as she left the room. "Lock up when you leave…" she called back.

"We will," Hotch watched her go, and then looked at Reid. Spencer added more files to the box as he spoke to Hotch.

"Darci Corbett's father brought a gun to the courthouse today," Reid told him. He dropped the files into the box and straightened, catching Hotch's eyes.

"You're kidding," Hotch's eyes narrowed in concern. "You think he was serious about using it?"

Spencer nodded as he spoke. "I think so, yeah…" he scowled slightly, thinking about the older man, wondering what he might be driven to do in a similar situation. Spencer tried to shake off the unsettling thought and sighed.

"He was looking for closure," he told Hotch as he started to take down the victim's pictures from the board. Each face, another life cut short, another family ripped apart… It weighed heavily on his heart.

Hotch saw the look in Reid's eyes.

"Do you think he'll find it now?" Aaron asked his friend.

"I don't really think so," Spencer said sadly. "I mean, uh… people's emotional lives aren't linear like that. To say that a killer's conviction, one single event- can just suddenly bring peace to a man? I don't…" he stopped a moment, thinking of how Scarlett still sometimes had nightmares, even though Ian Rowan was dead…

"I just don't think it's possible. It's not that easy…"

Hotch agreed. "Not easy. But he has to try. When it comes right down to it, what choice is there? We all have to try our best to move beyond, to find our peace…"

Spencer licked his lips nervously, his brow furrowing in thought. "I just hoped that maybe giving him back the watch would help him find that peace. I noticed it was engraved…" he shrugged slightly, unsure that it would help, but feeling like he had to try.

Hotch rested a hand to Reid's shoulder. "Then let's give it back," he told him, understanding what Spencer was trying to say.

About an hour into the drive home, Hotch pulled up in front of a small home in a quiet town. Spencer palmed the watch into his hand and went up the walkway to knock on the front door.

Mr. Corbett answered.

"Agent Reid…" he said, sounding slightly surprised.

"Sorry, I… uh- I know it's late," Spencer apologized. "But umm, I wanted to give you the news, before it hit the paper- Matloff is changing his plea to guilty…" he told the man. "Everyone agreed to life, without parole."

Spencer saw Corbett nod and look thoughtful for a moment. He met Reid's gaze.

"You didn't have to come here," Mr. Corbett told him.

"I also wanted to return this…" Spencer said, lifting his hand that contained the watch. Mr. Corbett reached out, a bit confused until he saw the piece.

"I had them release it from evidence," Reid told the father.

Corbett held the watch, turning it over in his hand. "It belonged to Darci's grandmother," he told Spencer softly. "They were very close…"

"I couldn't help but notice the inscription on the back," Reid stated. "Glory in the flower? I'm not familiar," he fibbed. He actually knew the passage well, having read it himself to Scarlett on more than one occasion. But seeing the engraving had been one of the main reasons he'd wanted to get the piece back to Mr. Corbett. Spencer had hoped the words would help him find the closure he'd been seeking.

Darci's father gave a soft smile. "Poetry was one of the things they shared," he said. "It's Wordsworth…"

"What though the radiance that was once so bright, be now forever taken from my sight… Though nothing can bring back…"

The words began to hit the man as he spoke them. The meaning took on new context as he now understood what the poet was saying. Spencer saw Mr. Corbett begin to choke up and felt his own throat constrict. He swallowed against it roughly.

"Uh, thanks," Darci's father met Spencer's gaze once more, and turned back into his home.

Reid turned back to the vehicle, sliding into the passenger's seat. Hotch had heard the conversation and looked at Spencer.

"I'm not that familiar with Wordsworth," he stated. "I'm certain you are…"

Spencer gave him a shrug as he continued the rest of the quote.

"Though nothing can bring back the hour of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower… we will grieve not, rather find strength in what remains behind."

Hotch nodded. "I'm sure that will bring him some peace," he told Reid.

"I hope so…" Spencer looked out over the neighborhood as they left, heading towards home, to his own peace…


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Spencer laughed as he watched Scarlett turn with Emily in a spin on the dance floor. The fact that the two of them hit it off right away brought a smile to his face. He'd also noted how Scarlett had been surely nudging Cooper towards Emily, which surprisingly enough seemed to be working. Even now, Cooper watched Prentiss from the table.

"Are you going to let your wife dance all by herself all night?" Coop prodded Reid with his elbow. "Or am I going to dance with both of them?" he teased as a slow song came over the speakers.

Spencer didn't feel his usual irritation with Cooper's taunt, since he could tell that their friend had hoped that he could use the opportunity to grab a dance with Emily. He grinned over at the man.

"You're going to use me taking my wife away from her friends as a chance to snag some time with Emily…" he teased back. He was surprised when he saw John blush slightly.

"Am I being that obvious?" Cooper asked.

Spencer grinned. "No, not at all…" he joked. "But if it means anything to you, it seems like Em is slightly interested…"

Cooper's look brightened. "Ya think?" he asked. Reid laughed.

"Yeah, maybe a little," he said, leading Cooper out to the floor. He took Scarlett by the hand.

"May I have this dance?" he asked her with a slight grin. When she nodded, he kissed her knuckles, pulling her close. Someone had chosen Adele's 'Make you Feel my Love' and the floor was quickly filling up with couples.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Cooper asking Emily if she would to dance with him.

 _When the rain is blowing in your face,  
And the whole world is on your case,  
I could offer you a warm embrace  
To make you feel my love._

 _When the evening shadows and the stars appear,  
And there is no one there to dry your tears,  
I could hold you for a million years  
To make you feel my love._

Scarlett tucked her ear against Reid's chest, listening as he hummed along with the tune, a small smile playing on her lips.

 _I know you haven't made your mind up yet,  
But I will never do you wrong.  
I've known it from the moment that we met,  
No doubt in my mind where you belong._

 _I'd go hungry; I'd go black and blue,  
And I'd go crawling down the avenue.  
No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do  
To make you feel my love._

 _The storms are raging on the rolling sea  
And on the highway of regret.  
The winds of change are blowing wild and free,  
You ain't seen nothing like me yet._

 _I could make you happy, make your dreams come true.  
Nothing that I wouldn't do.  
Go to the ends of the Earth for you,  
To make you feel my love  
To make you feel my love_

"I think having you around is rubbing off on Coop," Scarlett said, looking up into Spencer's face as the song ended and another began. She grinned. "He was almost smooth…" she giggled.

"I'm sure Cooper has much smoother moves than me," Reid rolled his eyes, tucking her in closer to his chest.

"Ummm, yeah- no… Cooper is a giant, loud affable bear. He lumbers. Smooth is not in his vocabulary. He's watching you, to see how to impress Emily," she told him.

Spencer pulled back a bit to look down at Scarlett. "You are joking…"

She shook her head. "No, farm boy, I am not. I can believe you haven't noticed Cooper mimicking what you do for me- like pulling out my seat… and then doing it for Prentiss."

Reid looked confused. "That's just common courtesy," he stated.

"Common for you, boy. Not so much for other men… Chivalry is hard to find," she commented.

She noted his frown. "Well, that's just depressing," he told her, leaning her into a slight dip and kissing her nose. Scarlett sighed as she snuggled back into his arms.

"Mmm-hmm, but I'm one of the lucky ones. I found you…" she smiled as she pressed her ear back over his heart.

Spencer held her close, stroking a hand down her hair. Leaning closer, he breathed in her scent.

"I'm the lucky one," he told her, leaning closer to whisper the words against her ear. Scarlett felt his breath touch her neck and shivered.

"You're going to 'get lucky', later…" she gave him an impish grin as she spun away from him under his arm and then back. She saw the blush start up his neck.

"Stop," he warned her. "Or I'll call it an early night and take you home now…" he only half teased.

Scarlett ran her hand up under the back of his shirt, touching his skin lightly.

"Maybe I am feeling a little worn out…" she mused. "Nobody would blame us if we left now…"

Spencer looked from her face to his wristwatch. "We have been here awhile…" he agreed with a lopsided grin.

Taking his hand as the slower songs ended, she tugged him back towards the table where the others were sitting.

"I think we're going to head home, guys," Scarlett announced, squeezing Reid's fingers with hers.

Cooper raised a brow towards her as he led Prentiss back to the table behind them.

"Already?" he looked over at a clock that read just before midnight. "You turning into a pumpkin or somethin' Cinderella?" he teased.

"I think it's more the 'or something'," Penelope piped up, having noticed the looks Scarlett and Spencer had been trading on the dance floor.

Emily laughed at Reid's blush.

"At least some things haven't changed," she teased, patting his cheek when he leaned over to give her a hug. "You are still the world's champ in blushing…"

"Yeah…" he grimaced slightly.

"We still on for tomorrow?" Emily turned to Scarlett.

"You bet," she smiled at her newest friend. "How about noon? The worst of the morning sickness is usually passed by then…"

"Sounds good…" Emily spoke at the same time as Cooper.

"You girls going to get your nails done, Red?" he poked at Scarlett.

She rolled her eyes and caught Prentiss' nod. Emily gave Cooper a sidelong glance, which Scarlett understood meant she wouldn't mind seeing him again.

"Actually, JJ, Emily and I were going to hit the range, if you _girls_ want to try to keep up," Scarlett said, indicating Cooper, Morgan and Reid.

Spencer shrugged. "I'm up for it," he said as he wrapped an arm around Scarlett's shoulders.

Emily couldn't cover the look of shock on her face. "This, I have to see…"

JJ laughed. "Spence has actually gotten quite good," she told her.

"I had a good teacher," Spencer shrugged off the teasing with a grin. He kissed Scarlett's temple lightly, nudging her towards the exit.

"Alright, alright," she laughed, nudging him back. "I'll talk to you guys tomorrow…" she gave them all a slight wave as they walked out of the bar arm in arm.

Emily caught JJ's eyes. "If I hadn't seen it for myself, I wouldn't have believed it…" she said.

"I told you- she's brought him out of his shell…"

"But he agreed to go to the _range_? Without even a flinch or serious arm twisting?"

Cooper laughed. "If that surprises you, you probably wouldn't believe me when I tell you I've seen him take down a guy my size- without a gun…" Emily's eyes rounded as she turned to John.

"Seriously?"

"Yup. Guy got the drop on me and Red. Reid flattened him. I thought he was going to kill him bare handed, had him in a solid choke hold and was ready to crush him- but Scarlett talked him down. When the perp picked up a gun and winged me, the kid put a bullet between his eyes…"

Prentiss looked between her other friends for verification. JJ nodded along with Garcia.

"We are talking about Reid, right? Tall, lanky kid with shaggy hair?" she took a sip of her drink, wanting to hear more.

Morgan chuckled. "One and the same. Our boy has grown up," he pretended to wipe a tear from the side of his eyes and Penelope smacked his arm as she laughed.

"Truth is, he's changed, but he hasn't… ya know what I mean?" Penny added. "It's like all the stuff that was just underneath the surface has come out and grown- between the two of them. Not just Reid. Scarlett has grown too- she's a different person than from even when I'd first met her…"

"Amen to that," Cooper said. "I wasn't sure if the changes were a good thing," he shrugged as he admitted that. "But between the two of them, they make each other better…"

Emily digested all this information as she listened to them talk. She held up her drink.

"Here's to those who make each other better," she said. Cooper grinned as he toasted with her.


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

 _There is a short reference in this chapter to a scene in Criminal Minds episode Risky Business, just because I adore the moment. The dialogue is not mine and is credited to the CM writers on this episode._

 _~Becky_

The six friends sat together in a booth at the restaurant after their time at the range. Spencer watched Scarlett closely for any signs that the scents were bothering her, and she caught his eyes. A quick shake of her head with a grin told him he had nothing to worry about, so he concentrated more on the conversation around the table.

Emily had pulled some wooden pieces from her purse and was showing the puzzle to Cooper.

"It's called a star puzzle," she explained. "It's next to impossible to solve. There is a story that goes along with it…"

Scarlett listened closer, always interested in a good tale. "What's the story?" she asked.

Prentiss grinned. "Well, it was said there was a prince, who wanted to win the heart of the fairest lady in the land, so he climbed to the top of the highest tower and caught a falling star from the sky. Unfortunately, in his excitement, he dropped it- and it smashed into all of these pieces. He frantically tried to put it all back together again to prove his undying love for his lady…"

Spencer looked from Emily to the pieces on the table. He picked them up and started putting the puzzle together as he listened to the story. He could already see the puzzle completed in his mind…

Scarlett watched him from the corner of her eye, smiling softly as she listened to Prentiss finish the tale.

"He finally succeeded and he presented it to her, and they lived happily ever after," Emily finished.

"That doesn't make any sense," Reid stated offhand as he settled some of the pieces together.

"What do you mean?" Emily asked.

"You can't catch a falling star…" Spencer said his brow furrowing. "It would burn up in the atmosphere."

Emily chuckled. "It's not meant to be literal, Reid... It's a fable…" she looked over at JJ's giggle.

"Fables have morals- there is no moral to the story…" he clicked a few more pieces together.

Prentiss rolled her eyes.

"Okay- so it's just a romantic little story… the point is that it's basically impossible to do because you have to take all those pieces and fit them exactly…"

Emily stopped talking when Spencer set the completed star in down front of Scarlett. He gave Prentiss a cocky smile and Scarlett laughed, picking up the star in the palm of her hand.

"Right…" Emily rolled her eyes again at Reid when he turned to give her a cocky grin.

"There's a lot to hate about you Dr. Reid…" she teased. Scarlett reached over to hand the puzzle back to Prentiss.

"You keep it, Katy… Your prince put it back together for you," she said with a wink.

Scarlett leaned over onto Spencer's shoulder, looking up at him. He dropped a kiss lightly to her forehead.

Derek laughed, looking down at his phone as Penelope texted him.

"Rossi wants everyone over to his house tonight for dinner… he says no excuses, and he'll leave garlic off the menu…" he gave Scarlett a quick glance.

"I've either thankfully started to move passed that point, or the tea is working- I don't know which it is, but I'm not having too much trouble with smells anymore," she told him. Looking up at Spencer, she saw him nod in agreement. "We will be there."

"Everyone is expected to be there around 7…" Morgan told the group. He looked over at John.

"The invitation is for you too, Coop- and Mom, Norie and our families," he mentioned.

JJ grinned. "Sounds like fun… it's been awhile since we've gotten together like this," she said.

"Tell Garcia to bring the pictures of the dresses she was looking at," Emily told Derek. "I want to see what she's picked so far…"

Morgan grinned. "Will do…"

Reid stood up from the seat, taking Scarlett's hand. "We promised Norie a trip to the museum this afternoon, so we will catch up with you all tonight…"

He caught Cooper's eyes. "Do you want to take in some sights?" he asked, shifting a quick glance towards Prentiss, trying to give John a hint that Emily liked the museum.

Cooper saw the move. "Uh, yeah- I didn't have anything planned… I'd like to hang out with you guys, if you don't mind."

He took the suggestion and looked down at Em.

"How about you? If you didn't already have something to do, would you want to walk the museum for a while with the family?"

"I'd love to," she said, looking over at John. She stood also, slightly surprised and pleased as Cooper reached his hand over to hold hers. Emily caught Scarlett's eye and gave her a grin.

They walked out of the restaurant together and Spencer held back a bit, letting Emily and Cooper get ahead of them.

"Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?" he leaned closer to Scarlett to ask the question, so he wasn't over heard. Emily kept her hand tucked into John's, nudging him and laughing at something he'd said.

Scarlett looked up into his eyes. "I'm thinking maybe they are a good match," she grinned.

"You planned this," Reid teased, taking her hand again to give her fingers a squeeze.

"Actually, 'this' is on Dave," she told him. "He's the one who suggested having them meet up…"

"Remind me to thank him later," Spencer opened the car door for her as she reached the passenger's side.

"Uh-huh…" Scarlett looked over as she saw Cooper get the door for Emily's rental also.

"Thank you," she told him, standing on her toes to reach up and give him a quick kiss.

Spencer looked confused for a moment. "For what?" he asked.

"For being a positive influence," she told him, nodding over in the direction of the other couple. "I have never seen Coop act like this…"

Spencer thought about how things had changed over the past months, how much he had grown and changed himself, comments he'd over heard about those changes- not only in himself but in Scarlett too…

"He's growing… we all do. I can't take credit for that- if they both decide to try together, they'll grow together. I think that's how a relationship works."

Scarlett looked up into his thoughtful gaze. She leaned against him, startled by the flip she felt in her stomach.

"Oh… Wow…" she pressed a hand to her belly, taking Spencer's hand with the other and pressing it close. His eyes widened when he felt the light flutter.

"Everyone is growing, I guess…" Scarlett smiled up at him, her eyes bright with happy tears.

He kept his hand in place as he leaned down to kiss her lips softly.

"I can't think of anything more wonderful than growing together with you, my beautiful crazy girl…" he told her, emotions tightening his voice slightly.

"There aren't words farm boy," she agreed.

"Let's go take our family to the museum," she smiled, reaching up to touch his cheek.

 _I hope everyone enjoyed this part of the series in Spencer and Scarlett's lives… As always, I appreciate every one of your reviews, so please keep leaving them!_

 _I've already completed "Trusting Scarlett" and it is in beta review with my dear, sweet, wonderfully kind CatGurl as we speak… (I cannot gush enough on how great it is to have her help, nor be able to ever thank her for her time!) I was laid up for a while recovering from emergency appendix surgery (hospitals, urrrrgggghhh) but at least the forced down time gave me plenty of time to write! Keep your eyes open for Trusting Scarlett!_

 _And if any of you are of a mind to, please keep a prayer or a thought out for my family as we go through a difficult time… My mother is now battling cancer… as you can imagine this has come as quite a shock and we are all doing the best we can to deal with the results._

 _I believe strongly in the power of faith and prayers. I do not care which name you may call God- God is in all of us, no matter what name or religion we may call to… the power is in the love and the faith behind the prayers. Intention means everything. [I suppose I believe more like Scarlett in that way ;-)] So please, if you wouldn't mind, send healing thoughts our way!_

 _I can't thank you all enough for giving me this distraction. Being able to use my imagination and write while hearing readers are enjoying and looking forward to these stories means so very much to me._

 _All my love and brightest Blessings!  
~Becky_


	40. Post view

Hello readers! Thank you all for taking the time to read my stories and leave reviews! I appreciate and respect every one of them, and they help keep the stories in file so others can find and read them! So please post a brief comment on each chaper, even if you choose to go back after reading! It will help my words stay relevant and I greatly appreciate your help. Much love! Stay tuned for the final chapters of part 7 coming up, and I've started on part 8, yet to be named! All my love, and brightest blessings! ~Becky ?ￂﾠ


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